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Can you tell direction by clouds?
Contrails are the long, thin clouds formed by jet aircraft. They can help us to find direction directly and also with forecasting weather, something I have written about in my books. Find your mark, then watch how each contrail line moves past it.
How can we learn wind direction?
Taking measurement with wind vane
- Place the wind vane in an open area where the wind is blowing directly at it. Hold the wind vane away from you slightly above your head.
- Use a compass to determine how the wind vane should be positioned.
- Record the direction the wind vane points to.
How are clouds and wind related?
‘We often think clouds are propelled by the wind but clouds themselves also influence the wind. Clouds are related to strong upward and downward motions, which transport air from the surface to higher levels in the atmosphere and the other way around.
Do clouds move in the same direction as the wind?
In general, clouds move at a speed and direction of the prevailing wind at the altitude where the clouds are occurring. The direction and speed of the wind depends on the pressure differences between the areas of high and low pressure.
What is cloud direction?
By convention, the direction of movement of a cloud is the direction from which the cloud moves. For example, if a cloud moves from south-west to north-east, the recorded direction of movement is “south-west”. In most cases, this is also a good approximation of the direction and speed of the wind at cloud level.
What does clouds going west mean?
wind shear
It may be noticed that clouds near the ground are moving from the south but clouds higher aloft are moving from the west. This indicates directional wind shear. Influences from surface friction, the jet stream or a stronger pressure gradient can lead to stronger winds aloft.
Why is it important to know wind direction and speed?
Wind speed and direction are important for monitoring and predicting weather patterns and global climate. Wind speed and direction have numerous impacts on surface water. These parameters affect rates of evaporation, mixing of surface waters, and the development of seiches and storm surges.
How can you use a compass to determine wind direction?
Sight down the line of the kite, observing the needle in the mirror. Turn the dial until the north arrow (red) is in the red orienting arrow box. Now look at the compass from the top, and note where the sight indicates the wind’s bearing on the dial. This is the direction the wind is going.
What do clouds tell you about the weather?
Here are some hints for predicting weather by reading clouds. Isolated, wispy, or very high clouds are an indication of fair weather. Crowded, dense, dark, and towering clouds indicate changing or worsening weather. If cloud color, shape, and size change, so will the weather.
What direction do clouds move in?
If you live in North America, you may notice that for the most part, clouds move from west to east because of the jet stream. This is the same reason why it typically takes longer to fly from the East Coast to the West Coast than it does to fly in the other direction – you’re essentially flying against the wind.
How do you predict the weather with clouds and wind?
There’s a simple trick to predicting the weather using both the wind and clouds, and all you need is your body. Stand with your back to the wind and look up. If the clouds are moving directly toward you or away from you, the weather is likely to stay the same.
How do I know which way the clouds move?
It is always a good idea to check which way the clouds are moving at the start of any journey and it is usually different to the wind you feel on your cheeks. When the wind comes into contact with the surface of the land it ‘backs’ in the northern hemisphere, ie. turns left, sometimes by as much as 50 degrees.
Finding and holding direction using the wind and clouds can be imprecise, but there are clues in almost every environment on Earth and so remaining aware of what the elements are doing and have done can give a natural navigator some valuable clues. This assistance becomes all the more valuable when the sun or stars are not helping.
How do you find the direction of the wind?
The wind can blow from any direction on any given day, so the best way you can use it to find direction is by looking at the past, ie. the prevailing trends. If you have read about using the trees to find your way, you will know how the tops of exposed trees in the UK appear windswept from the southwest to the northeast.