On Measurement of Wind Travel

Posted Posted 1/28/2010 10:28:40 PM

Doesn't it bother anyone that wind is the only thing whose direction we measure in reverse? That is to say, we express the direction it's coming from rather than the direction in which it's moving.

Think of all the things whose direction we measure in the direction of travel: Traffic, water currents, and so many other things. You don't say "I'm coming in from the South", you say "I'm heading North".

Then there are the different names we give things. For example, Gale Force Winds are considered to be strong, but range from 31 to 63 MPH. By the technical definition (Beaufort Scale), we experience Gale Force Winds every time a truck passes us on the freeway, or even on a moderately windy day. Winds from 64 MPH and up can be referred to as a Hurricane, Very Severe / Super Cyclonic Storm, Tropical Cyclone, or a Typhoon. The actual name depends on where the wind is, which seems like an entirely arbitrary distinction.

All I'm asking for is a little standardization. How hard can that be?