Wind Facts

• Wind is the flow of gases, here on Earth it refers to the movement of air.
• It is caused by differences in air pressure. Air rushes from high pressure areas to lower ones.
• Short bursts of wind moving at high speeds are known as gusts.
• Depending on their strength, winds can be known as a breeze, gale, storm or hurricane.
• Wind direction is given by the direction from which the wind comes.
• Weather vanes are used to indicate wind direction.
• Anemometers are used to measure wind speed. 
• A knot is a unit often used to measure wind speed
• Sea breezes occur because heat from the Sun takes longer to warm the sea than the land, creating a difference in air pressure.
• Wind can provide energy through the use of wind turbines. 
• Sailing ships use wind to power their movement with the help of sails.
• Many sports and recreational activities make use of the wind, these include kite boarding, wind surfing, sailing and paragliding.
• Solar wind in outer space is a stream of charged particles that come from the Sun.
• Saturn and Neptune feature the fastest planetary winds in the Solar System.