5.2.1.1 Wind strength

Wind plays an important role in determining the weather conditions.

The wind strength for each day should be freshly determined at the start of each day. It is determined by rolling 3D (wind strength roll) adjusting for the season, terrain type, etc. and consulting the following table:

Wind strength roll result	Wind strength level	Wind strength
7 or less	0	Total calm, no breath of wind
8-11	1	Gentle breeze (e.g. 20 kilometres per hour)
12-15	2	Windy (e.g. 40 kilometres per hour)
16-19	3	Strong winds (e.g. 70 kilometres per hour)
20-23	4	Gale force winds (e.g. 100 kilometres per hour)
24-27	5	Storm force winds (e.g. 140 kilometres per hour)
28 or more	6	Hurricane force winds (e.g. 180 kilometres per hour)

Modifiers to the wind strength roll

There are significant modifiers to the wind strength roll for:

the previous day's wind strength (storms tend to last a few days before dying away);
the altitude (the higher you are the stronger the winds);
the terrain type (exposed areas suffer more extreme winds than sheltered areas);
the latitude (i.e. how far the area is from the equator - tropical winds tend to be more extreme than polar winds);
how close the area is to the sea (sea areas tend to have stronger winds than land-locked areas); and
the season (winds are stronger in winter than summer, with the effect more pronounced away from the equator).

Previous day's wind strength

The previous day's wind strength should be added to the wind strength roll, giving a modifier of between +0 and +6. If the previous day's wind strength has not be determined, assume it was windy (+2).

Altitude

The altitude affects the wind strength roll, with a modifier of +1 per 500 metres of altitude.

Terrain type

There is a modifier of -3 to the wind strength roll if the area is sheltered (i.e. forest, jungle).

Season, latitude and proximity to sea

The season affects the temperature roll as follows, depending on how far the location is from the equator and whether the area is continental or coastal:

Latitude	Proximity to oceans	Winter	Spring/Autumn	Summer
Polar	Oceanic	+6	+2	-2
	Coastal	+4	+0	-4
	Continental	+2	-2	-6
Cold	Oceanic	+6	+3	+0
	Coastal	+4	+1	-2
	Continental	+2	-1	-4
Temperate	Oceanic	+6	+4	+2
	Coastal	+4	+2	+0
	Continental	+2	+0	-2
Tropical	Oceanic	+6	+5	+4
	Coastal	+4	+3	+2
	Continental	+2	+1	+0
Equatorial	Oceanic	+6	+6	+6
	Coastal	+4	+4	+4
	Continental	+2	+2	+2

Definitions:

Polar means at latitudes of between 70 degrees and the pole (90 degrees);
Cold means at latitudes of between 50 degrees and 70 degrees;
Temperate means at latitudes of between 30 degrees and 50 degrees;
Tropical means at latitudes of between 10 degrees and 30 degrees;
Equitorial means at latitudes of between the equator (0 degrees) and 10 degrees;
Oceanic means at sea, on the coast or on small islands (i.e. within 10 kilometres of the sea);
Coastal means on land but in an area where the weather is influenced by the sea (e.g. more than 10 kilometres but less than 300 kilometres from a large sea or ocean); and
Continental means on land in an area uninfluenced by the sea (e.g. more than 300 kilometres from any large sea or ocean).