Wind Rose

About

A wind rose is a meteorological diagram designed to provide a clear visual representation of how wind speed and direction are typically distributed at a particular location. Historically, wind roses served as predecessors to the compass rose, which is also known by the same name and appears on nautical charts. Originally, there was no clear distinction made between a cardinal direction and the wind that blew from such a direction. The diagram uses a polar coordinate system for griding, allowing the frequency of winds over a specific time period to be plotted according to wind direction. Color bands within the diagram indicate different wind speed ranges. The longest spoke in a wind rose points toward the wind direction that occurs most frequently, which is known as the prevailing wind.