About average wind velocity maps
References & Guides
How were the maps created?
Computer model are used as part of the weather forecasting process. These models produce a snapshot of the current state of the atmosphere before they can produce forecasts. This snapshot is often called an 'analysis'.
The analysis and subsequent predictions are based on data (ground stations, upper air observations, satellites, ships, buoys etc.) from the world's national meteorological services, including Australia. Data are fed into computers, and the wind field and the various other meteorological data fields are calculated at various elevations or levels to represent the physical process or dynamics of the full depth of the atmosphere.
The monthly averages for wind were calculated from the daily computer generated analyses. The 10 metre surface wind field from the model, provided as gridded data, was used to develop these wind climate maps.
The gridded 10 metre wind data were visualised in a geographic information system and the colour maps created through this process.
Data used in the analysis
The average wind velocity maps are based on the Australian Meso-scale Limited Area Prediction System (MesoLAPSPT _125), using data from the years between 2004 to 2008.
Wind velocity metadata
The following metadata summary, and detailed metadata file, provide information about the average monthly gridded zonal and meridional 10 metre wind datasets. For example, information is provided about the format, spatial extents and analysis techniques used to generate the grids.
| TITLE: | Average monthly surface wind velocity data |
| DESCRIPTION: | Average monthly wind speed and direction across the Australian region in the form of a two-dimensional array. The mean data are based on the period 2004 to 2008. |
| CUSTODIAN: | Bureau of Meteorology |
| GEOGRAPHIC EXTENT NAMES(s): | Australia |
| AVAILABLE FORMAT TYPE(S): | ASCII row major, Arc/InfoTM grid export(.e00), Shapefiles. |
| SCALE/RESOLUTION | The resolution of the data is 0.125 degrees (approximately 12.5 km) |
The detailed metadata file provides more information about the zonal and meridional 10 metre wind gridded datasets, including information about the analysis technique. You can also find out about the other gridded datasets we have available.
Copyright & contact information
Please note that the copyright for any data supplied by the Bureau of Meteorology is held in the Commonwealth of Australia and the purchaser shall give acknowledgement of the source in reference to the data. Apart from dealings under the Copyright Act 1968, the purchaser shall not reproduce (electronically or otherwise), modify or supply (by sale or otherwise) these data without written permission from the supplier
