Utua Mamao (Atafu) Wind Stats

The graph shows how frequently and how strongly the wind blows from different directions through a typical July. The longest spokes point in the directions the wind most commonly blows from and the shade of blue implies the strength, with the strongest winds shown by dark blue. It is based on 3472 NWW3 forecasts of wind since since 2006, at 3hr intervals, for the closest NWW3 model node to Utua Mamao (Atafu), located 8 km away (5 miles). There are not enough recording stations world wide to use actual wind data. No doubt some coastal places have very localized wind effects that would not be predicted by NWW3. According to the model, the prevailing wind at Utua Mamao (Atafu) blows from the SSE. If the rose diagram shows a close to circular outline, it means there is no strong bias in wind direction at Utua Mamao (Atafu). Converseley, dominant spokes illustrate favoured directions, and the more deep blue, the stronger the wind. Spokes point in the direction the wind blows from. Over an average July, the model suggests that winds are light enough for the sea to be glassy (light blue) about 1.2% of the time (0 days each July) and blows offshore just 1.4% of the time (0 days in an average July). In a typical July winds exceeding >40kph (25mph) are not expected, but 1 have winds on the range 30-40 (19-25) at Utua Mamao (Atafu)

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