Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Why has it been so windy recently?

16:00
20 February 2022

Weather explained
Why has it been so windy recently?

With so much talk of wind recently, you may be left wondering exactly where it is all coming from.

All wind is the result of air moving. As the sun heats the planet, warmer air rises leaving an area of low pressure behind. Colder air is pulled into this area creating wind.

That is the simple explanation. This week, strong winds arrived due to a classic weather pattern sometimes referred to as the Atlantic Highway.

Atlantic Highway

A low pressure over Iceland and a high pressure over the Azores are throwing icy polar air and warm tropical air at each other.

The dramatic temperature differences create a veritable Atlantic wind highway, running from far out in the Atlantic and into Europe, over the UK and Ireland.

This, in conjunction with an active jet stream, combined to deliver gale force winds for much of our two countries.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Dry, hot weather raises pollen levels. Hay fever comeback. . . Thursday, 18 June 2026
Satellite weather map of the UK and western Europe showing sunny conditions across much of Britain, a rain band approaching Ireland from the Atlantic, and a pollen icon indicating airbourne pollen levels during warm weather.
Thursday, 18 June 2026

Hay fever comeback

Dry, hot weather raises pollen levels
A heatwave is on the way in Europe. Is El Niño to blame?. . . Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Split image showing a Europe temperature map with widespread red heatwave conditions and temperatures above 30 C on the left, and an El Niño ocean temperature anomaly map of the Pacific Ocean on the right with a broad band of unusually warm water along the equator.
Tuesday, 16 June 2026

Is El Niño to blame?

A heatwave is on the way in Europe
Tornado sweeps through Italy's Foggia. So-called "landspout". . . Wednesday, 17 June 2026
On the left, a tornado near a town; on the right, the weather radar for Italy
Wednesday, 17 June 2026

So-called "landspout"

Tornado sweeps through Italy's Foggia
All weather news
This might also interest you
Historic Storm Éowyn arrives. On this day.... . . Saturday, 24 January 2026
Split image showing a person in a yellow jacket struggling against strong winds and heavy rain on a street at night on the left, and an Irish wind forecast map on the right with red and purple shading, gusts up to 75 mph, and a wind warning icon, divided by a curved white line.
Saturday, 24 January 2026

On this day...

Historic Storm Éowyn arrives
Flooding, gales, and heavy snow. Storm Chandra. . . Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
Mixed conditions on an unsettled week. Your weather - Your shots. . . Sunday, 2 November 2025
plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.
Sunday, 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList