Importance of the wind rose

The wind rose is a tool that has been crucial during the history of navigation. We can say that thanks to her the men who sailed the seas were able to easily recognize where the wind was coming from, north, south, east or west. Thanks to her it was and is possible to read the maps guiding anyone who wanted to take a fixed course with the help of the wind. Likewise, if we take into account that it was born long before the compass, we can say that the wind rose has been crucial for many discoveries.

At present other more modern devices are used. However, they did not exist before. This wind rose, created by a Mallorcan in the 13th century, allowed sailors to control the orientation of the main winds. Thus, thanks to this kind of graphical rose, they were able to determine aspects such as the frequency distributions of the speed and the address of the wind. These points were essential to be able to navigate, in those days and now, but during that time, they could only use this rudimentary but efficient invention.

If we look closely, the wind rose represents the circumference of the horizon. This kind of star is divided into 32 parts with a value in degrees. These parts determined the possible direction of the winds. In them, in addition to finding the north, south, east and west, that is, the cardinal points, we also find the lateral points that are between them. Thus, we find the Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW) and Northwest (NW). Likewise, between the cardinal and lateral points we find the collateral points; the North-Northeast (NNE), East-Northeast (ENE), East-Southeast (ESE), South-Southeast (SSE), South-Southwest (SSW), West-Southwest (WSW), West-Northwest (WNW), North-Northwest (NNW) as well as all sixteen headings col-laterals.

This tool can be used on flat terrain, but in mountains and valleys will not work the same. We must also know that the wind rose will only help us to know the distribution of the direction of the wind, since the truth is that its speed will be a little more difficult to establish.

Thanks to the wind rose we have been able to build efficient airports; and it is that they have served to be able to take exact data on the intensity and direction of the wind in certain places. In this way, after several years of study, it is possible to observe what kind of winds blow. Thus, the wind rose is essential when deciding to build an airport in one place or another.