Wind speed is traditionally measured by an anemometer placed high above the ground on a tall meteorological (‘met’) mast. The anemometer has 3-4 ‘cups’ that rotate when the wind blows. Wind speed is measured by how many times the cups spin around in a given time.
Newer methods for measuring wind speeds send sound or light waves up into the air. These devices are called a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) or SoDAR (sonic detection and ranging). When the waves meet wind, they bounce back to the device below – collecting wind speed information up to 300 metres high.
Learn more: Check out a Wind Map of Australia to see where the best wind resources can be found.
