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CLASSIFY THE TYPES OF WINDS WITH SUITABLE EXAMPLES

Types of Winds

The winds at the surface may be classified into four main types, viz. (1) the planetary winds, (2) the monsoon winds, (3) cyclones and anticyclones (4) local winds.
1. Planetary winds: The general distribution of winds throughout the lower atmosphere is known as planetary winds. Confined within some latitudinal belts, these winds blow rather regularly throughout the year and are basically controlled by the latitudinal pressure belts. The main planetary winds are (i) the North-east and the South-east Trade winds (ii) the Temperate Westerlies and (iii) the Polar Easterlies, which blow from the polar high pressure area to the temperate low pre sure area.
Trade winds, The Westerlies, The Polar easterlies
2. Monsoon winds: The type of wind system in which there is a complete or almost complete reversal of prevailing direction from season to season is known as the monsoon winds. The largest and best developed monsoonal area in the world is the SE Asia including India. During the summer (April to September) the interior of the continents is intensely heated. This creates a low pressure into which winds are drawn from over the cooler surrounding oceans. In India South-west monsoon wind blows in summer. As the air from over the oceans is very moist, it results in heavy rainfall. During the winter (October to March) the continental interior becomes much cooler than the surrounding oceans; the wind direction is thus reversed, blowing from the continental high pressure to the low pressure over the oceans. This creates the NE monsoon over India, which is generally a cool and dry wind.
3. Cyclone and Anticyclone: A cyclone is a region of low atmospheric pressure and associated storm system, of which there are two types. The first, characteristics of temperate latitudes, is now usually referred to as a depression. The second in general covers a smaller area and typical of the tropics, is usually called a Tropical cyclone. The Tropical cyclones are generally violent with wind speeds as high as 120-280 km/hr. Anticyclone is a region of atmospheric high pressure and associated with light winds. Both cyclones and anticyclones are manifested by circular oval or wedge shaped arrangement of isobar with lowest pressure at the centre in case of cyclones and highest pressure at the centre in case of anticyclones. The law governing here known as Buys Ballot’s law, states that in the northern hemisphere winds move in an anticlockwise direction around the centre of low pressure and clockwise around centers of high pressure; in the southern hemisphere the reverse is true. Both cyclones and anticyclones move as systems, cyclones moving much faster than the anticyclones. As a result the wind directions at a place shift with the passage of a cyclone or an anticyclone.
4. Local winds: Winds, caused by local factors and confined to a limited area compared to planetary winds, are called local winds. Some well known examples of local winds are given below:
Land breeze, Sea breeze, Tornado
Some other important local winds: Harmattan is a very dry and dust laden West African wind that blows south-east from the Sahara to the coast especially between Octobers to February. Its incursion into the coast of Gulf of Guinea gives relief to stifling humidity. The sirocco, a hot dry south wind blowing from the Sahara to the Mediterranean, is most unpleasant. In Egypt this wind is called khamsin. The mistral and bora are cold north winter winds. Mistral is experienced in southern France, especially in the Rhone delta and bora blows down the mountains to the east coast of Adriatic Sea and North Italy. Norwester is a squall occurring during hot season (April-June) in North India and may bring rain or hail. The Loos are hot and dry summer westerly winds that sweep the Upper and Middle Ganga Plains.

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Types of Winds

The winds at the surface may be classified into four main types, viz. (1) the planetary winds, (2) the monsoon winds, (3) cyclones and anticyclones (4) local winds.
1. Planetary winds: The general distribution of winds throughout the lower atmosphere is known as planetary winds. Confined within some latitudinal belts, these winds blow rather regularly throughout the year and are basically controlled by the latitudinal pressure belts. The main planetary winds are (i) the North-east and the South-east Trade winds (ii) the Temperate Westerlies and (iii) the Polar Easterlies, which blow from the polar high pressure area to the temperate low pre sure area.
Trade winds, The Westerlies, The Polar easterlies
2. Monsoon winds: The type of wind system in which there is a complete or almost complete reversal of prevailing direction from season to season is known as the monsoon winds. The largest and best developed monsoonal area in the world is the SE Asia including India. During the summer (April to September) the interior of the continents is intensely heated. This creates a low pressure into which winds are drawn from over the cooler surrounding oceans. In India South-west monsoon wind blows in summer. As the air from over the oceans is very moist, it results in heavy rainfall. During the winter (October to March) the continental interior becomes much cooler than the surrounding oceans; the wind direction is thus reversed, blowing from the continental high pressure to the low pressure over the oceans. This creates the NE monsoon over India, which is generally a cool and dry wind.
3. Cyclone and Anticyclone: A cyclone is a region of low atmospheric pressure and associated storm system, of which there are two types. The first, characteristics of temperate latitudes, is now usually referred to as a depression. The second in general covers a smaller area and typical of the tropics, is usually called a Tropical cyclone. The Tropical cyclones are generally violent with wind speeds as high as 120-280 km/hr. Anticyclone is a region of atmospheric high pressure and associated with light winds. Both cyclones and anticyclones are manifested by circular oval or wedge shaped arrangement of isobar with lowest pressure at the centre in case of cyclones and highest pressure at the centre in case of anticyclones. The law governing here known as Buys Ballot’s law, states that in the northern hemisphere winds move in an anticlockwise direction around the centre of low pressure and clockwise around centers of high pressure; in the southern hemisphere the reverse is true. Both cyclones and anticyclones move as systems, cyclones moving much faster than the anticyclones. As a result the wind directions at a place shift with the passage of a cyclone or an anticyclone.
4. Local winds: Winds, caused by local factors and confined to a limited area compared to planetary winds, are called local winds. Some well known examples of local winds are given below:
Land breeze, Sea breeze, Tornado
Some other important local winds: Harmattan is a very dry and dust laden West African wind that blows south-east from the Sahara to the coast especially between Octobers to February. Its incursion into the coast of Gulf of Guinea gives relief to stifling humidity. The sirocco, a hot dry south wind blowing from the Sahara to the Mediterranean, is most unpleasant. In Egypt this wind is called khamsin. The mistral and bora are cold north winter winds. Mistral is experienced in southern France, especially in the Rhone delta and bora blows down the mountains to the east coast of Adriatic Sea and North Italy. Norwester is a squall occurring during hot season (April-June) in North India and may bring rain or hail. The Loos are hot and dry summer westerly winds that sweep the Upper and Middle Ganga Plains.

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