A warming atmosphere is likely weakening the forces that govern wind speeds, leading to more frequent wind droughts or periods when air sits still for long stretches of time, a phenomenon known as \u201cglobal stilling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019ve seen is that from the 1960s through to around 2010, wind speeds have been kind of generally slowing down,\u201d Hannah Bloomfield at Newcastle University in the U.K. told Mowbray. <\/p>\n
\u201cInterestingly, since 2010 winds have actually sped up again,\u201d Bloomfield added. \u201cBut when we look forward using climate models, and then look far forward into the future, our average wind speeds globally are expected to decline.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among scientists, there\u2019s considerable debate and uncertainty around these calculations and projections, which are made based on models. Forecasting is difficult as the interactions that influence global climate patterns are incredibly complex. <\/p>\n
For example, while wind globally is slowing, extreme wind events like Category 5 Hurricane Melissa<\/a> in the Caribbean, are becoming more frequent. <\/p>\n However, if average global wind speeds do decline long term, it could cause potential disruptions to renewable energy systems worldwide. Roughly 20% of global wind turbines are located in regions at high risk of future record-breaking wind droughts.<\/p>\n In Europe, projections suggest energy production could decrease by up to 10% by the year 2100 as a result of reduced power output from wind turbines.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can get periods of time where you have particularly low winds that can obviously affect the delivery of power if you\u2019re relying on wind energy,\u201d oceanographer Matthew England, a researcher at the University of New South Wales, Australia, who has been studying these interactions, told Mowbray. <\/p>\n \u201cBut weak winds under a global warming scenario are also particularly dangerous for heat waves,\u201d he added. When air becomes stagnant, it prevents air pollution from dispersing and can create heat domes \u2014 a region of intense, persistent heat. <\/p>\n \u201cUnder climate change, we\u2019re getting these marine heat waves playing out because of ocean warming and extra heat trapped by greenhouse gases,\u201d England said. \u201cBut they get particularly bad and nasty if the winds are weak.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the full story by Sean Mowbray here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Banner image: Wind turbines installed off the coast of Rhode Island, U.S. Image by Joan Sullivan via\u00a0Climate Visuals<\/a>\u00a0(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0<\/a>).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n