Wind API Parameters

Wind Speed (instantaneous)

Gives the instantaneous wind speed at the indicated level.

wind_speed_<level>:<unit>

Available altitude levels: 2m - 20000m (continuously), 5ft - 65000ft (continuously)

Available pressure levels (global): 1000hPa, 950hPa, 925hPa, 900hPa, 850hPa, 800hPa, 700hPa, 500hPa, 300hPa, 250hPa, 200hPa, 150hPa, 100hPa, 70hPa, 50hPa, 10hPa

Available flight levels (global): FL10 - FL900 (continuously)

Available speed units: ms, kmh, mph, kn, bft

Examples

Wind speed chart created with MetX. Colored areas indicate wind speeds at 10 m height, isolines denote mean sea level pressure. The grid of red numbers shows wind speed values at that location:

This csv output shows the wind speed at 850 hPa over Switzerland https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00Z/wind_speed_850hPa:ms/52,5_45,12:5x5/csv

validdate;2018-02-21 00:00:00 parameter;wind_speed_850hPa:ms data;5;6.75;8.5;10.25;12 52;10.7;8.6;6.7;6.3;6.4 50.25;12.6;10.8;9.3;8.1;10.6 48.5;14.3;13.5;13;10.3;7.7 46.75;17.9;16;0.7;8.3;0.5 45;10.3;0.1;7.4;13.8;17.9

Check the wind on different altitudes: https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP1D:PT20M/wind_speed_2m:ms,wind_speed_10m:ms,wind_speed_100m:ms,wind_speed_1000m:ms,wind_speed_10000m:ms/47.412164,9.340652/html

Instantaneous Wind Direction

Gives the instantaneous wind direction at the indicated height in degrees from North. For example, a direction of 45 degrees means that the wind is coming from the Northeast.

wind_dir_<level>:d

Available altitudes levels: 2m - 20000m (continuously), 5ft - 65000ft (continuously)

Available pressure levels (global): 1000hPa, 950hPa, 925hPa, 900hPa, 850hPa, 800hPa, 700hPa, 500hPa, 300hPa, 250hPa, 200hPa, 150hPa, 100hPa, 70hPa, 50hPa, 10hPa

Available flight levels (global): FL10 - FL900 (continuously)

Examples

Generate a csv file comparing the wind direction at 10m and 700hPa https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP2D:PT3H/wind_dir_10m:d,wind_dir_700hPa:d/47.412164,9.340652/csv

validdate;wind_dir_10m:d;wind_dir_700hPa:d
2017-08-03T00:00:00Z;163.8;250.2
2017-08-03T03:00:00Z;170;239.2
2017-08-03T06:00:00Z;191.3;228.8
2017-08-03T09:00:00Z;244;231.8
2017-08-03T12:00:00Z;239.4;239
2017-08-03T15:00:00Z;243.1;241.6
2017-08-03T18:00:00Z;234.2;247.2
2017-08-03T21:00:00Z;240.9;250.6
2017-08-04T00:00:00Z;249.1;248.1
2017-08-04T03:00:00Z;240.9;221.1
2017-08-04T06:00:00Z;263.2;226.2
2017-08-04T09:00:00Z;319.4;236.3
2017-08-04T12:00:00Z;322.3;257.1
2017-08-04T15:00:00Z;314.4;255.2
2017-08-04T18:00:00Z;301.4;256.8
2017-08-04T21:00:00Z;269.8;260
2017-08-05T00:00:00Z;172.2;252.3

Wind Speed: u and v components

Gives the immediate wind u and v components at the indicated level. Components (surface level, u is positive for a west to east flow, v is positive for a south to north flow).

wind_speed_u_<level>:<unit>

wind_speed_v_<level>:<unit>

Available altitudes levels: 2m - 20000m (continuously), 5ft - 65000ft (continuously)

Available pressure levels (global): 1000hPa, 950hPa, 925hPa, 900hPa, 850hPa, 800hPa, 700hPa, 500hPa, 300hPa, 250hPa, 200hPa, 150hPa, 100hPa, 70hPa, 50hPa, 10hPa

Available flight levels (global): FL10 - FL900 (continuously)

Available speed units: ms, kmh, mph, kn, bft

Examples

Chart created in MetX showing the Jet Stream on the 300 hPa level with wind barbs based on u and v wind components:
Compare the scalar wind speed and its u and v components at 10 meters with those at 100 meters https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP2D:PT3H/wind_speed_10m:ms,wind_speed_v_10m:ms,wind_speed_u_10m:ms,wind_speed_100m:ms,wind_speed_u_100m:ms,wind_speed_v_100m:ms/47.412164,9.340652/html

https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP1D:PT3H/wind_speed_10m:ms,wind_speed_v_10m:ms,wind_speed_u_10m:ms,wind_speed_100m:ms,wind_speed_u_100m:ms,wind_speed_v_100m:ms/47.412164,9.340652/csv

validdate;wind_speed_10m:ms;wind_speed_v_10m:ms;wind_speed_u_10m:ms;wind_speed_100m:ms;wind_speed_u_100m:ms;wind_speed_v_100m:ms 2018-02-05T00:00:00Z;2.3;-1.8;-1.4;0.6;0;0.6 2018-02-05T03:00:00Z;3;-2.7;-1.5;0.2;-0;0.2 2018-02-05T06:00:00Z;1.9;-1.7;-0.8;1.1;-1;-0.5 2018-02-05T09:00:00Z;0.4;-0.4;0.2;0.7;-0.7;0.1 2018-02-05T12:00:00Z;3.9;-3.1;-2.4;1.6;-0.8;-1.3 2018-02-05T15:00:00Z;4.9;-4;-2.7;2.7;-2.6;-0.7 2018-02-05T18:00:00Z;1.2;-1;-0.7;0.6;0.4;-0.5 2018-02-05T21:00:00Z;2.1;-1.8;-1;0.4;0.3;0.3 2018-02-06T00:00:00Z;0.9;-0.7;-0.5;0.9;0.8;0.5

Wind Speed: vertical component (w)

Gives the immediate vertical wind component at the indicated level.

wind_speed_w_<level>:<unit>

Negative values denote rising motions and positive values denote descending motions.

Available pressure levels (global): 1000hPa, 950hPa, 925hPa, 900hPa, 850hPa, 800hPa, 700hPa, 500hPa, 300hPa, 250hPa, 200hPa, 150hPa, 100hPa, 70hPa

Available flight levels (global): FL10 - FL605 (continuously)

Available speed units: Pas, ms

Examples

Compare the vertical wind speed at different pressure levels https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP1D:PT20M/wind_speed_w_850hPa:Pas,wind_speed_w_700hPa:Pas,wind_speed_w_500hPa:Pas/47.412164,9.340652/html

Interval Wind Speed

Gives the mean or minimum wind speed over the specified interval at the indicated level.

wind_speed_<measure>_<level>_<interval>:<unit>

Available levels (global): 2m - 20000m (continuously), 5ft - 65000ft (continuously), 1000hPa, 950hPa, 925hPa, 900hPa, 850hPa, 800hPa, 700hPa, 500hPa, 300hPa, 250hPa, 200hPa, 150hPa, 100hPa, 70hPa, 50hPa, 10hPa

Available flight levels (global): FL10 - FL900 (continuously)

Available measures: mean, min

Available Intervals: 5min, 10min, 15min, 20min, 30min, 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h

Available speed units: ms, kmh, mph, kn, bft

Examples

Observe the evolution of the mean wind speed at 100 meters for the next four days. https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP4D:PT3H/wind_speed_mean_100m_3h:ms/47.412164,9.340652/html

Interval Wind Gusts

Gives the wind gusts over the specified interval at the indicated level:

wind_gusts_<level>_<interval>:<unit>

Available intervals: 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h

Available speed units: ms, kmh, mph, kn, bft

Examples

Compare the interval wind speed mean with the wind gusts speed. https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP4D:PT3H/wind_speed_mean_100m_3h:ms,wind_gusts_100m_3h:ms/47.412164,9.340652/html

Interval Wind Direction

Gives the mean wind direction over the specified interval at the indicated height in degrees. According to the meteorologocial convention, the value indicates the direction from which the wind blows. For example, a wind direction of 90 degrees indicates a wind blowing from the East.

wind_dir_mean_<level>_<interval>:d

Available flight levels (global): FL10 - FL900 (continuously)

Available intervals: 5min, 10min, 15min, 20min, 30min, 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h

Examples

Compare the wind directions at different heights: 10 meters, 80 meters, 300 hPa and 700 hPa. https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP2D:PT3H/wind_dir_mean_10m_1h:d,wind_dir_mean_80m_1h:d,wind_dir_mean_300hPa_1h:d,wind_dir_mean_700hPa_1h:d/47.412164,9.340652/html

https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00ZP1D:PT12H/wind_dir_mean_10m_1h:d,wind_dir_mean_80m_1h:d,wind_dir_mean_300hPa_1h:d,wind_dir_mean_700hPa_1h:d/47.412164,9.340652/json

{"version":"3.0","user":"api-test","dateGenerated":"2018-02-07T14:34:10Z","status":"OK","data": [{"parameter":"wind_dir_mean_10m_1h:d","coordinates":[{"lat":47.4122,"lon":9.34065,"dates": [{"date":"2018-02-05T00:00:00Z","value":36.2},{"date":"2018-02-05T12:00:00Z","value":36.5},{"date":"2018-02-06T00:00:00Z","value":80.5}]}]}, {"parameter":"wind_dir_mean_80m_1h:d","coordinates":[{"lat":47.4122,"lon":9.34065,"dates": [{"date":"2018-02-05T00:00:00Z","value":138.2},{"date":"2018-02-05T12:00:00Z","value":76.3},{"date":"2018-02-06T00:00:00Z","value":101.4}]}]}, {"parameter":"wind_dir_mean_300hPa_1h:d","coordinates":[{"lat":47.4122,"lon":9.34065,"dates": [{"date":"2018-02-05T00:00:00Z","value":255.7},{"date":"2018-02-05T12:00:00Z","value":261.2},{"date":"2018-02-06T00:00:00Z","value":242.8}]}]}, {"parameter":"wind_dir_mean_700hPa_1h:d","coordinates":[{"lat":47.4122,"lon":9.34065,"dates": [{"date":"2018-02-05T00:00:00Z","value":228.9},{"date":"2018-02-05T12:00:00Z","value":224.1},{"date":"2018-02-06T00:00:00Z","value":225.5}]}]}]

Mean Wind Speed over the Last 10 Years

Gives the mean 10m wind speed over the last 10 years on a certain date at a specific location.

wind_speed_10m_10y_mean:<unit>

Available units: ms, kmh

Examples:

Compare the mean wind speed of the last ten years with the wind speed of 2022.

Current situation:
https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T12:00:00ZP100D:P2D/wind_speed_10m_10y_mean:ms,wind_speed_10m:ms/50,10/html

The wind speed in winter compared to the 10 years mean:

validdate;wind_speed_10m_10y_mean:ms;wind_speed_10m:ms
2021-10-01T12:00:00Z;3.3;2.9
2021-11-01T12:00:00Z;2.3;3.8
2021-12-01T12:00:00Z;3.1;7.6
2022-01-01T12:00:00Z;3.5;3.5
2022-02-01T12:00:00Z;4.2;7.1

Current situation:
https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T12:00:00ZP4M:P1M/wind_speed_10m_10y_mean:ms,wind_speed_10m:ms/50,10/csv

Wind Shear

This parameter denotes the vertical wind shear between 850 hPa and 200 hPa and describes how the wind changes with height. The vertical wind shear is often used to assess favorable environmental conditions for tropical cyclone formation and thunderstorm development.

wind_shear:<unit>

Available units: ms, kn

Example

The following image shows vertical wind shear contours over the USA and is created using https://api.meteomatics.com/2024-04-24T00:00:00Z/wind_shear:ms/USA:0.05,0.05/html_map.