You may have also noticed. At least I do, because a special phenomenon has been going on for days with northeast wind and wind from the north to the northeast. The actual wind deviates significantly from the predicted wind during the afternoon and evening. In this blog I explain in a simple way how this is done. Also how you can benefit from it as a wind athlete.
Warmed air wants to rise in cold northeast wind
The situation is as follows. It is spring, fairly cloudless and so there is plenty of room for the sun. This can already be quite warm and thus pumps a lot of heat into the earth. However, the water is still relatively cold around this time. The wind forecast is north to northeast, for example from the northeast.
Stronger wind moves downwind and sucks in
What we have learned is that when the sun warms the earth with warm air and moves over or past cold water, the wind gets stronger during the day. In the Netherlands this occurs in the spring. In the nights it is often the other way around: the land cools down and the wind drops completely.
Or this specifically with northeasterly wind in the Netherlands now sea breeze, rising wind, thermals or a combination of phenomena. We dare not say for sure. Anyone who knows can report with a valuable response.
Predicting not easy
Over the years, this phenomenon has been observed annually. Especially with northeasterly winds. However, wind forecast sites and apps don't always spot it. This creates a distorted picture. The specified wind is amply exceeded. Interesting but also dangerous. For the kitesurfer, kitefoiling, wingsurfing, wingfoiling and other water sports it is of course nice. But it can be a risk for entire sectors. What do you think, for example, if a planned lifting with a crane goes ahead and a strong wind spontaneously arises and the load catches wind. Why this phenomenon is not included in wind forecasts is unclear to me. It seems to be difficult to predict.
Be alert with northeast wind
By keeping a close eye on the wind, especially the one from the northeast, you can just grab a few very cool sessions. Take advantage of it and see which one kite spots are suitable for northeasterly winds. The latter is crucial because especially if the wind blows just hard enough, the wind direction safe to be, current be favorable and you skill level alright. Such wind can also suddenly disappear or change direction.
If a meteorologist reads this blog, please let me know if I succeeded or if I am missing crucial information.
Hi Karel, very nice pictures. Many people have been grateful to you for that for quite some time now. Thank you for your response. I especially noticed the phenomenon with NE, which is wind mainly parallel to the coast. Frankly, I never noticed this with wind from the sea.