Wind Gust

A wind gust is a short-lived increase in wind strength above the sustained average affecting a vessel. It may last seconds to a few minutes and can arrive with shifts, squalls, thermals, terrain acceleration or frontal activity, producing loads far higher than the mean forecast suggests.

For boaters, gusts influence reefing decisions, motoring margins, anchoring shelter and harbour manoeuvres; they affect heel, leeway, rig loads and crew safety. Comparing expected gusts with Wind Speed, Wind Direction, and Sea State helps set a conservative plan before leaving.

PredictWind displays gust forecasts alongside sustained wind in maps, tables and routing tools, including high-resolution coastal views where local acceleration matters. Offshore crews can download GRIB gust data in the Offshore App, while Gust Maps make it easier to spot squally areas and choose safer departure windows.