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How to use Climate Data on the PredictWind Website
How to use Climate Data on the PredictWind Website

View ten years of rolling averages, month-by-month, for wind, wave, and weather conditions in any location using historic ECMWF data.

Matt Crockett avatar
Written by Matt Crockett
Updated yesterday

Accurate historical wind, waves, and weather data provide essential insights for planning your next passage or adventure. With Climate Data, you can access rolling averages from the past ten years of ECMWF weather data, giving you the confidence to select the ideal time of year for your activity. This information helps you choose optimal passage routes, avoiding hazardous weather or choosing the best time to visit a location.

Important Note: With a PredictWind Free subscription, you can view the current month's rolling 10-year average for wind, wave, and other weather conditions in any location. Upgrade to PredictWind Basic or higher to view any month.

How to Access Climate Data

  1. Log in to the PredictWind Website.

  2. Select Tools > Climate Data.

Key Features

You can view the Map as a Wind Rose or Wave Rose.

1. Wind Rose

A Wind Rose is a graphical tool that shows the frequency and direction of the average wind over a monthly period at a specific location. Select a Wind Rose to view the data set.

The length of the spoke radiating from the centre represents the frequency of winds blowing from that direction, with colour coding used to indicate wind speed and probability of the selected wind range. Select a coloured band to view the wind speed range, direction and probability.

2. Wave Rose

A Wave Rose represents the distribution of wave height and direction at a specific location for the month.

Similar to a Wind Rose, a Wave Rose shows the frequency of waves coming from different directions and includes information on wave height, giving you a visual summary or typical sea conditions.

Additional meteorological and oceanographic data

Both Wind Rose and Wave Rose include 10-year monthly average data at each location for:

  • Wind Speed

  • Air Temperature

  • Rainfall

  • Wave Height

  • Sea Surface Temperature

  • Sea Ice Coverage

  • Cloud Coverage

  • Highest Gusts

  • Thunderstorm probability - This parameter is related to the probability of occurrence of a thunderstorm:

    • <20 K - No thunderstorms

    • 20-25 K - Isolated thunderstorms

    • 26-30 K - Widely scattered thunderstorms

    • 31-35 K - Scattered thunderstorms

    • >35 K - Numerous thunderstorms

Climate Data day and night values are available for wind, air temperature, rainfall and cloud cover; other values are a full-day average.

How to use Wind and Wave Rose

To understand seasonal variability, set a zoom level and step across a season of several months to observe how the Wind and Wave Rose change over the period. To view winds and waves on the borders between regions, zoom in a level and step the months forward and back again to see how the data changes.

Passage Planning

Crossing oceans in the correct season is prudent seamanship, avoiding cyclonic activity and other adverse conditions such as headwinds.

Using Climate Data well in advance of a planned passage will establish what month or months are best. Inside 30 days out, you could then start the departure planning/weather routing, which will be using the ECMWF ensemble, from here inside 10 days, using the actual models for departure planning/weather routing.

To learn more about departure planning, please see our webinar: 2024 PredictWind Atlantic Weather Tools & Features Webinar (Part 1) Webinar

Vacation Planning - What's the best time for your planned activity?

You are planning a kite foiling trip to Tahiti and want to know the best time to go for optimal wind conditions. Climate Data will show when the prevailing wind is best. Cross-referencing wind patterns with peak tourist seasons allows you to identify quieter months with great conditions. For example, you might find that the best winds for kite foiling occur just outside the traditional tourist season, allowing you to enjoy fewer crowds while still getting excellent weather.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do rolling averages from the last ten years actually mean?

This means that Climate Data is updated each month with the most recent information. Unlike Pilot Charts, which can be unreliable due to outdated data, the effects of the changing climate are always represented in what you can see.

Can I set or select a specific location?

Wind and Wave Roses are available at pre-set locations for each zoom level worldwide on a grid basis. Adjust your zoom level and pan on the map to identify your desired location for a detailed view.

What time period is included in Wind and Wave Roses?

Wind and Wave Roses show a full 24-hour average for each day in the calendar month.

What is the ECMWF data used for this climate data?

ECMWF: Stands for European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and is highly regarded by Meteorologists and top Navigators around the world. ECMWF data has a very high acquisition cost, and this is why the data is not widely used by many weather websites, and has been traditionally used only by top yacht racing teams and meteorologists.

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