Wind direction indicates where the wind is coming from, not where it is going to. So, a southerly wind blows from the south to the north.

To determine wind direction:

• First turn your body until you can feel the wind at your back.
• Now hold the compass flat (the air bubble will guide you), level with your waist, and watch as the red arrow swings around to point north.
• Rotate the compass (without turning your body) until the north pointer printed on the base of the compass matches the red arrow.
• So, what direction is the wind coming from? The answer is the number or letter closest to your belly button. In the picture (right), the wind is coming from the west – a westerly wind.
  
  

Do’s and Don’ts

Keep the compass away from other magnetic materials.

How it Works

Compasses contain a magnetic material that aligns itself in a north-south direction. Iron is particularly well known for having this property. The earth has a core full of iron that gives the planet the magnetic north and south poles. These differ slightly from the geographic north-south poles.