Assessment of Hazard from Damaging Wind Gusts in the Siedlce Area

The average daily values of wind speed and wind gust speed in the years 2001-2018 in Siedlce were analyzed. In the study area, the frequency of individual wind directions was determined and, according to criteria set by the Government Centre for Security, the frequency of hazards from damaging wind gusts was evaluated. The following wind gusts were considered: >20 m/s, 25 m/s and 35 m/s. It was found that, in the Siedlce area, the prevailing wind direction was west-south-westerly (WSW), and the average annual wind speed in the long-term study period was 2.99 m/s. March, April and May were the months when the highest speeds of maximum wind gusts (>35 m/s) were recorded. Extreme wind gusts the speed of which poses a hazard to the environment, national economy as well as human life and health, occurred in both the cold and warm seasons of the year.