wind · United Kingdom
Lerwick, Shetland
Winter peak gust
Modelled demonstration series · not observed data
There is no shelter at this latitude and no bridge to the mainland. A gust at this level stops the ferries and grounds the aircraft simultaneously, which for an island of this size means it is simply cut off until the system passes. Routine here, and still consequential.
75 years, modelled
Same reading, two normals
| Normal | Mean | σ | Pct | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951–1980 | 148 km/h | +1.40σ | 92nd | 1 in 12 years |
| 1991–2020 | 147 km/h | +1.30σ | 90th | 1 in 10 years |
Today would rank 6 of 76 for highest value in the modelled series. Nothing about the reading changes between rows — only the yardstick.
The season here
Shetland sits under the North Atlantic storm track all winter. The islands are engineered for wind; they still get closed by it.
Where this series comes from
MODELLED SERIES — not observed. Parameters set from published Lerwick winter gust climatology. The 75 annual values are synthesised by the seeded generator.
Every number on this page comes from a modelled series: 75 annual values synthesised by a seeded generator from published climatological parameters for Lerwick, Shetland. It shows how anomaly reasoning works. It is not a measurement and must not be cited as one.
How to read σ
σ counts standard deviations from this place's own normal. The sigma guide · return periods.
More wind stations
Open Lerwick on the field →