Least windy year on record?

[BlueSkies_do_I_see]

It has been incredibly calm recently and this month is carrying on the trend too. The Atlantic has not been sending weather systems through our islands.

Are there records for AVG daily wind speeds for the UK?

2021 must be one of the least windy years.

It's impacting on wind power energy production too.

 

 

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by BlueSkies_do_I_see

[DogToffee]

Been wondering this myself. Never before have I craved a good run of blowy Atlantic days.

[BruenSryan]

Don't have any wind data for UK but for Ireland, 2021 had been the calmest January to August period since 2010 and that theme has continued into September with the mean average running even closer to 2010 (which was record calm for many stations).

Particularly noticed the lack of wind this summer which was reportedly one of the calmest on record:

 

[hillbilly]

Our Local wind farm at Ovenden moor was built in the early 1990s and in 2015 the 23 turbines were replaced by half as many but much larger and capable of a much larger output.When reading the write up in the local Courier it was said that the wind speeds today [2015] were 15% less than when it was built in 1992.I dont have any source of that information but i did find it interesting.

[Weather-history]

Have to fancy 1921 is up there as regards to lack of wind given how dry it was. 

[Jo Farrow]

On 20/09/2021 at 22:34, BlueSkies_do_I_see said:

It has been incredibly calm recently and this month is carrying on the trend too. The Atlantic has not been sending weather systems through our islands.

Are there records for AVG daily wind speeds for the UK?

2021 must be one of the least windy years.

It's impacting on wind power energy production too.

 

 

 

Nick F recently wrote a blog about wind power, not an answer to the daily speeds recorsds though

When the wind stops blowing, the UK struggles to make cheap & green electricity

WWW.NETWEATHER.TV

---

How the coming hike in energy prices has been exacerbated by a reduction in electricity produced from wind power in the UK, increasing reliance on gas which is in demand globally. Fortunately, it will get...

 

 

[Mapantz]

On 20/09/2021 at 22:34, BlueSkies_do_I_see said:

It has been incredibly calm recently and this month is carrying on the trend too. The Atlantic has not been sending weather systems through our islands.

Are there records for AVG daily wind speeds for the UK?

2021 must be one of the least windy years.

It's impacting on wind power energy production too.

 

 

 

I record the daily "wind run" on my station, which can make it easy to identify whether it has been a windy day, month, season, or year.  I cannot vouch for other locations, but here, the wind run is slightly above my average at this point in the year.

[Downburst]

I have noticed this over the years and it does seem to be verifying, we get less wind. Take Valentia in Co. Karry, South West Ireland (So very windy spot). 1944 to 2010. 

[BruenSryan]

2 hours ago, Downburst said:

I have noticed this over the years and it does seem to be verifying, we get less wind. Take Valentia in Co. Karry, South West Ireland (So very windy spot). 1944 to 2010. 

I calculated more national means and this September as of the 22nd for Ireland is running as the calmest in a record since 1981 with 6.5 kts. 2014 holds the current record with 6.8 kts. Mind the past few days have tended to be windier - 22nd was windiest day since 13 August nationally speaking.

[virtualsphere]

According to this "Average wind speed and deviations from the long term mean (ET 7.2)": 

• The July 2021 average wind speed was 5.7 knots, 2.4 knots lower than the same month in 2020 and 2.2 knots lower than the 10-year average covering the period 2002 to 2011. July 2021 was the least windiest July in the series.
• The average wind speed for the three months March 2021 to May 2021 was 7.8 knots, 0.7 knots lower than the same period a year earlier, and the lowest recorded for this 3 month period since 2012.  
• The average wind speed for the three months April 2021 to June 2021 was 7.2 knots, 0.6 knots lower than the same period a year earlier, and the lowest recorded for this 3 month period since 2010. 
• The average wind speed for the three months May 2021 to July 2021 was 6.8 knots, 1.2 knots lower than the same period a year earlier, and the lowest recorded for this 3 month period in the series.

But...

• The 2020 average wind speed was 9.1 knots, 0.8 knots higher than in 2019 and 0.2 knots higher than the 10-year average. Ten named storms affected the UK during 2020 which resulted in 2020 being the windest year in the series since 2015. 

The data only goes back to 2002, and 2010 was less windy that anything since to date.  Feb 2020 looks like the windiest month since Jan 2010 with Dec 2015 and Feb 2014 coming next.

Energy Trends: UK weather - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

---

Quarterly and monthly data on weather patterns, including temperature, heating degree days, wind speeds, sun hours and rainfall.