Current Observation Maps

Each arrow on the observation map represents an actual weather station. If you move your mouse over one of the arrows, the latest weather report from that station will be displayed to the right of the map, along with a 5 day wind forecast.

To display a more detailed forecast click on an arrow. This will display the wind, temperature, cloud and rain expected over the next 5 days. To return to a stations current weather report simply click on the arrow again.

In addition to wind maps, WindMapper also provides maps of the current temperature, weather conditions, visibility and pressure. To change the map type use the buttons in the right hand panel. Each map is colour-coded and a key is displayed at the bottom left of the screen.

Forecast Weather Maps

To view a map of the forecast wind conditions, click on the Forecast tab at the top of the screen. To change the forecast time, move your mouse to the right of the map and select a date and time from the calendar that appears. You can also use the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to advance one step at a time.

To see a detailed forecast for a location, place your mouse over an arrow in just the same way as you do on the observation maps. You can then click on an arrow to move to the next forecast map in the sequence.

To select a different map type use the buttons in the right hand panel.

To return to the observation maps, click the tab at the top of the screen marked Observations

Forecast Overview

To see the entire days forecast, click on the Overview tab. This will display small versions of the eight maps for the current day. Click on one of the small maps to zoom in returning to the full forecast view.

You can change the day or map type using the buttons above the maps.

You can go directly to the Overview from the Forecast by clicking on a day (rather than an hour) in the forecast calender.

Historical Animations

To see an animation of the recent wind speeds click on the Animation tab at the top of the screen.

You can step through the images one at a time using the '<<' and '>>' buttons or loop through the entire sequence by pressing the 'Play' button.

To view a longer animation select the number of hours required from the menu. It's also possible to animate a different map type by using the buttons in the right hand panel as before.

Once you've had enough of the past you can return to the present by clicking on the Observations tab.

Location

You can change the map location using the drop down menu at the top right of the page. Maps are available for serveral countries in western europe and most regions of the USA.

Preferences

Once you've got the basics, make yourself at home by using the 'Preference' button to set your default location, wind speed units and many other options.

Notes:

Red Arrows and Gusting Wind

Red arrows show that the wind is gusting. The wind is said to be gusting if the maximum speed is 10 knots or more above the current average speed. The size of each arrow on the map is always based on the average wind speed.

Grey arrows indicate that a stations observation hasn't updated and that it's about to be removed from the map.

Wind Scale

The colours used to display wind strength are based on the Beaufort scale with each colour representing a different force on a range of 1 to 11+. Wind speed can be displayed in several different units based on your preference settings, the images below show the MPH and Knots scales.

Wind Direction

The wind direction is defined as the direction from which the wind originates. This means that an arrow that points from north to south indicates a northerly wind (a wind that comes from the north).

Temperature Scale

Temperatures below 0°C are shown in blue.

More....

Please view the FAQ for information on forecast limitations.