Please select your home edition
Edition
Excess Catamarans

Earth Wind Map - beautiful, delicate and - oh so revealing

by Sail-World Cruising round-up on 17 Feb 2014
The Earth Wind Map - a work in progress SW
The Earth Wind Map is an amazing project to visualize global weather conditions carried out by Tokyo based software engineer Cameron Beccario, resulting in a beautifully mesmerising depiction of the earth's winds. Weather data is produced by the Global Forecast System (GFS), operated by the US National Weather Service. Forecasts are produced four times daily and are up-to-date, providing an astonishing picture of our planet and its winds.

Formerly a Visual Basic developer with Microsoft Beccario moved to Japan in 2002 and has been developing online trading platforms.

The project, which only went live in December 2013 is the child of a former Tokyo Wind Map project, inspired by the fm/wind map of the USA says Beccario.

The actual map date is provided by Natural Earth, but converted into another format



In detail, a gentle breeze is shown by a thin strand of green, while strong winds are bright yellow. The strongest currents are bright red.

Users can drag the globe to their desired location and click on the spot they want to find out what the wind speed is.

Users can also zoom in on the currents, which are colour-coded to show the severity of the wind. The detail is quite extraordinary. A region that looks calm at a glance is seen to be rippling with winds on closer inspection, using the mouse wheel to zoom in.



Historical data is available, as is wind data at different heights. This project is a true Work in Progress. Current data has now been added and Beccario continues to work on new features.

The system also does something else not really seen before. If you ever doubted the existence of the fabled gyres of the oceans, doubt no more. The five gyres can be observed in graphic fluid lines, just as always predicted.

Could you use this for deciding your sailing plans? It's too early to tell. You decide. Beccario is at pains to point out that a lot of the data is interpolated.

To access the 'Earth Wind Map', click here. Navigation is a matter of exploration.

If you think you might like to set up your own Earth Wind Map, https://github.com/cambecc/earth!click_here.

Watch the video to learn more about how it works:

Navico AUS Zeus3S FOOTERX-Yachts X4.0Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350

Related Articles

Seldén Rodkicker 50 - manual rigid vang
Specifically sized for yachts between 50 and 55 feet A Rodkicker rigid vang is designed to enhance sail handling during reefing and allows for greater sail trim control.
Posted today at 8:00 am
WASZP Games 2025: Talent & fun descend on Weymouth
Poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history The 2025 International WASZP Games, set to take place from July 19–25 at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, are poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history.
Posted today at 7:23 am
Queensland Yachting Survey 2025 Feedback
The results are in, gathering valuable insights directly from the sailing community Following this year's Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, a group of passionate and experienced individuals from the sailing community gathered to discuss the current state of yachting in Queensland.
Posted today at 5:18 am
All smiles among first finishers of the AEGEAN 600
The fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion As the fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion and made their way to the harbour at Olympic Marine, there were exhausted smiles all around.
Posted on 10 Jul
British Classic Week day 4
It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for the OneSails inshore race It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for day 4 of British Classic Week with hot temperatures, sunshine and no breeze in the morning before the sea breeze kicked in from the west and it was time to go racing.
Posted on 10 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 5
Finalists locked in for new Medal Series format With the sea breeze stubbornly refusing to make an appearance, Day 5 of the iQFOiL World Championship turned into a long waiting game both ashore and on the water.
Posted on 10 Jul
Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects!
Posted on 10 Jul
America's Cup: Luna Rossa to sail for Naples club.
Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest the next America's Cup as the team of a Naples club. Italian Challenger Luna Rossa will contest its seventh America's Cup as the team of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia of Naples, as club that is new to the America's Cup.
Posted on 10 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 3
Big breeze in the morning, calm in the afternoon The third day of racing at the 2025 Moth World Championship kicked off early, with the first warning signal for the Blue fleet scheduled for 8:30 AM. Due to strong northerly winds, however, the fleet's departure was postponed to 9:00.
Posted on 10 Jul
Introducing the Micro Gateway from Cyclops Marine
Live load data, simplified - smaller, smarter, even more connected At Cyclops Marine, we're driven by the pursuit of precision, performance, and progress. As the marine industry continues to embrace digital transformation, our technology is evolving rapidly.
Posted on 10 Jul