wind shear

American  

[wind] / wɪnd /

noun

1. the rate at which wind velocity changes from point to point in a given direction.

2. a condition, dangerous to aircraft, in which the speed or direction of the wind changes abruptly.

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wind shear British  

/ wɪnd /

noun

1. stress on an aircraft in an area in which winds of different speeds and directions are close together

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wind shear Scientific  

1. A change in wind direction and speed between slightly different altitudes, especially a sudden downdraft. Depending on its scale, wind shear can cause a variety of effects, from minor turbulence to tornadoes. Wind shear caused by interactions between oceanic and atmospheric winds can be so strong that it can dissipate hurricanes.

2. See also shear force

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Etymology

Origin of wind shear

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

These included a lack of moisture in the atmosphere, increased vertical wind shear that rips storms apart destroying them and a lack of thunderstorms off the west coast of Africa – typically a tropical storm formation area.

From BBC

Because of changes in vertical wind shear -- the variation in wind speed and direction high in the atmosphere -- La Nina tends to bring more hurricanes in the Atlantic basin and fewer in the Pacific.

From Barron's

A 2024 study, external suggested the two main drivers to this uncertainty are changes in wind speed and direction through the atmosphere, known as vertical wind shear, and atmospheric moisture.

From BBC

The most unpredictable storms occur when there is a moderate amount of wind shear and moisture in the atmosphere.

From BBC

Vertical wind shear tends to rip storms apart, preventing intensification or even causing a storm to weaken.

From BBC