Use the following terms to fill in the blanks: High, wind speed, low, knots, anemometer, air, right, left, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation, wind direction, wind speed, wind direction, wind vane, Beaufort scale, isobars, 4 millibar, 904, 908, direction, coriolis effect, equator, poles

Wind is invincible and air is always moving. When the sunshine shines, the air near the ground gets warmer. Warm air rises and cooler air moves under it. These air movements creates the wind which blows across the landscape. The faster the air moves, the stronger the winds blow. Wind is in motion. The motion can be in any , however, the horizontal movement of wind is greater than the vertical flow. Wind develops as a result of differences in . These differences occur because of uneven absorption of pressure to areas of pressure.

Wind is described by two characteristics: and .

is the velocity attained by a mass of air traveling horizontally through the atmosphere. It is measured with an in , miles/hr, or metres/sec. Wind speed can also be measured without the aid of instruments, using the . Users of this scale look for specific effects of the wind on the environment to determine speed. is measured as the direction from where a wind originates from. It is measured by an instrument called a .

On weather maps, pressure is indicated by lines called , at regular intervals. For example 900mb, , 9012 mb. If the isobars are closely spaced, wind speed is expected to be . Where the isobars are spaced widely apart, wind normally occurs.

The rotation of the earth creates a force called which acts upon wind and other objects. Instead of wind blowing directly from To pressure, the rotation of the earth causes wind to be deflected off course. In the northern hemisphere, wind is deflected to the of its path, while in the southern hemisphere it is deflected to the . Coriolis force is absent at the and its strength towards the . Coriolis force only influences wind direction and not wind speed.