Wind speeds and gusts in Finland: a comparison of observations and ERA5 reanalysis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this study, we compare hourly wind speed and wind gust observations from 143 weather stations in Finland to ERA5 reanalysis data from 2014–2023. The weather stations are classified into inland, coast, lake, and mountain stations based on their elevation and terrain type. Overall, the correlation between ERA5 and observed winds is strong. However, both the hourly wind speeds and wind gusts in ERA5 are underestimated except for the weakest winds, which are overestimated. The bias is larger in wind speeds than in wind gusts. Among the four station classes, the coast and inland stations have in general the best agreement between ERA5 and observed winds, while ERA5 performance in the mountain stations is relatively poor.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Authors: Laurila, Terhi K., Laapas, Mikko, Olsson, Taru, Jylhä, Kirsti
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7092315819