Wellington: wind, Cook Strait and the approach

New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) explains where the wind comes from and why it rarely blows straight across the runway.^[1]

Cook Strait

Wellington is windy because it sits on the edge of Cook Strait. As the wind funnels through the gap it becomes faster and stronger, NIWA says, especially on the Wellington side.^[1]

Along the runway, not across it

The airport is sheltered from northeasterly and southwesterly winds, so the wind blows largely along the runway. NIWA says the airport rarely experiences dangerous crosswinds.^[1]

Turbulence on the approach

NIWA says flying is roughest when the turbulence is about the size of the aircraft, which often happens on the approach path. Closer to the ground the turbulence becomes smaller in scale and has less effect on the aircraft.^[1]

The runway, 16/34, is 6,352 ft long and surfaced with asphalt, at a field elevation of 41 ft.^[2]