Examination of Archival Canadian Wind Data for Inhomogeneities during 1953-2005

Several studies have reported significant increases in the intensity and frequency of storms. Most notable has been the controversy over whether hurricanes occur more often in the Atlantic and Caribbean than a century ago and if this has an anthopogenic cause. There have also been reports of increasingly severe winds associated with thunderstorms.

This study examined hourly measurements of wind speed that were recorded at 75 primarily airport stations located throughout Canada during 1953-2005. The data, consisting of over 34 million measurements, were first examined for discontinuities that could indicate instrumental problems or sudden changes in procedure. These inhomogeneities were carefully taken into account before analyzing the data for statistically significant trends due to climate change. The study analyzed the average wind speed as well as the frequency of high wind events.