A sudden change in wind speed or direction over a short distance. Dangerous for aircraft and critical for tropical cyclone development.
basicWhat is Wind Shear?
Vertical wind shear — the change in wind speed or direction with altitude — is one of the most important factors in tropical cyclone development. High wind shear tears apart developing storms, preventing them from organising into typhoons. Low wind shear allows storms to build a tall, symmetric structure and intensify. Forecasters closely monitor wind shear when predicting whether a tropical disturbance will develop. Wind shear is also a major aviation hazard during landing and takeoff.
Key points
- A sudden change in wind speed or direction over a short distance. Dangerous for aircraft and critical for tropical cyclone development.
- Category: basic
Related terms
See also: wind-shear is connected to other weather concepts. Browse the full glossary for related definitions.