Windsock
Meteorological instrument / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Windsock?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
A windsock (a wind cone or wind sleeve) is a conical textile tube that resembles a giant sock. It can be used as a basic indicator of wind speed and direction, or as decoration. Windsocks are typically used at airports to show the direction and strength of the wind to pilots, and at chemical plants where there is risk of gaseous leakage. They are also sometimes located alongside highways at windy locations.
Classification | Meteorological instrument |
---|---|
Uses | Indicates wind direction and estimates its speed. |
Related | Anemometer, weather vane, anemoscope |
At many airports, windsocks are externally or internally lit at night.[1] Wind direction is the direction in which the windsock is pointing. (Wind directions are conventionally specified as the compass point from which the wind originates, so a windsock pointing due north indicates a southerly wind.) Wind speed is indicated by the windsock's angle relative to the mounting pole—in low winds it droops; in high winds, it flies horizontally.