The measurement of wind speed and direction is sensitive to local influences and when undertaking analyses based on these data over long periods it is essential that an assessment is made of the impact of any instrument changes, instrument bias and changes in the location or exposure of the anemometer. This has become significantly more important with the increasing use of meteorological data in environmental studies to support costly development projects. In this study, the climatic wind record for Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport for the period 1940-1995 is examined and previously unrecognised data quality concerns are identified. The anemometer has been replaced and relocated in this period, there have been changes in the exposure at the anemometer site resulting from development on the airport, and the wind speed was under-reported for an extended period due to an instrument bias. We determine the magnitude of the instrument bias and the impact of exposure changes resulting from development on the airport and site changes. Calculation of this latter component is based on the classic logarithmic wind profile in the surface layer, a subjective estimate of the change in effective surface roughness length and the assumption that winds representative of an ‘open flat terrain’ are required. The analysis provides some progress towards the development of a reliable and homogeneous climatological wind record.
Potts et al. (Mon,) studied this question.