Is Wellington too windy?

America’s Windy City has an average wind speed of 8.9 knots (16.6 km/h). But Wellington tops that with an impressive annual mean wind speed of 11.8 knots (22 km/h). The Kiwi capital is, in fact, extremely windy. It’s not just reputation.

Is Wellington the windiest city?

With a latitude of 41° 17′ South, Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world. Because of its location in the Roaring Forties and its exposure to the winds blowing through Cook Strait, Wellington is the world’s windiest city, with an average wind speed of 27 km/h (17 mph).

How often is it windy in Wellington?

Wellington is much more consistently windy than most places, seeing gusts exceeding gale-force (75km/h) about 175 days every year at the airport.

Why is it so windy in New Zealand?

The mountainous land enclosing Cook Strait squeezes and speeds up the wind between the North and South Island. “The reason it doesn’t flow over the top is because the atmosphere is reasonably stable, so all that air that pushes against New Zealand can’t go over the top so it has to go through the gaps.”

What is the windiest place in New Zealand?

People on the Manukau Heads are picking up the pieces after being the windiest place in New Zealand last night. The mean wind speed was 126km/h and they had gusts up to 213km/h. The data, which was recorded at the iconic lighthouse was only around 10km/h below the all time record.

What is the windiest city in New Zealand?

Wellington, New Zealand is the world’s windiest city, with an average of 22 days of over 74 km/hr (45.9mph) and 173 days above 59 km/hr (36.6mph) of wind speed. Sailors, windsurfers and kite-surfers come from afar to ride the winds of Wellington.

What is the least windy place in New Zealand?

Re: NZ’s least windiest place – Arrowtown?! Reefton is also down bottom of all wind data.

What is the windiest month in Wellington New Zealand?

October
The windier part of the year lasts for 4.3 months, from September 3 to January 12, with average wind speeds of more than 13.6 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Wellington is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 14.6 miles per hour.

Is New Zealand really windy?

In New Zealand, the climate is oceanic, mild in the north and cool in the south, and also windy and rainy, especially in the southern and western regions. The weather is often variable, and there can be sunshine and rain alternating in a few hours, as is typical of oceanic climates.

Is Auckland windier than Wellington?

New Zealand sits astride the westerly wind drift. The capital is known as ‘windy Wellington’, but in fact average wind speeds there are not much higher than in other coastal cities such as Invercargill and Auckland.

Where is the least windy place in NZ?

If you’re from windy Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Auckland, Marlborough, coastal Otago, and Southland you can escape. Right then, and now the big reveal: Turner has pinpointed the least windy places in New Zealand as Kawerau and Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty, and Reefton, on the road from Nelson to the West Coast.

Which city in NZ has the best weather?

Kaitaia and Whangarei top the list with an annual average of almost 16C. Auckland is also up there, with an average of just over 15C.

Why is the wind so windy in Wellington?

There are two types of regular references to the wind in Wellington: 1) The geography surrounding Cook’s Strait creates a funnel effect on the prevailing westerly air-stream. 2) Wellington is the seat of Parliament and often it is called very windy because of the politicians and their behaviour.

Where is the windiest place in New Zealand?

Wellington is one of the windiest places in New Zealand because of its location beside Cook Strait, the only major gap between the mountains running the length of the two main islands. As winds are funnelled through the passage they become stronger, especially on the northern (Wellington) side of the strait.

What causes the northerly winds in New Zealand?

This area of low pressure enhances the northerly wind flow through Cook Strait. In the evening, the heating reduces and the air pressure over Marlborough returns to normal, causing the northerly winds to drop off in Wellington.

What is it like to live in Wellington?

The best thing about Wellington’s wind is that bad polluted air doesn’t hang around, the air feels fresh and clean. Wellington is my home town, on a bad day it can be so windy that you have to hold onto something just to stay on your feet.