The analysis of wind gusts

Orthogonal components of horizontal wind velocity are assumed to be independent, non-stationary Gaussian Stochastic Processes with negligible means and the same covariance structure. A method for estimating parameters associated with the long-term structure of the wind, based on the frequency of upcrossings at various levels, is given and applied to observed data. The application of this approach to the prediction of maximum wind velocities and speeds expected over periods of 10 to 100 years is also considered and a comparison made with the more usual approach based on Gumbel's extreme value theory.