Why is Perth, Western Australia really windy?

Question

I remember someone telling me it had something to do with a worldwide wind band or something that runs right through Perth. Is that right? If so, what's it called?

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure it's called the "roaring forties". It was what the sailors nicknamed the winds because they were so strong around Perth. I guess everyone just calls it the Fremantle Doctor these days.

I found this on the web but can't seem to find anything else that describes it in more detail sorry..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_For...

Answer 2

All the above answers are correct, but I like to think it's because our politicians are full of hot air and there is too much farting happening at Parliament House that causes Perth to be known as the Windy City.

Answer 3

the freo doctor lol.

well thats what we here in Australia call it.

Answer 4

Also the city itself has narrow little streets (take a look at hay street and murray street) in which wind is probably channeled, like through a tunnel because of the surrounding buildings, I think that makes the actual city really bloody windy.

Answer 5

It's called the Fremantle Doctor, and it's the wind that blows in from Fremantle, just south of Perth.

Perth is also known as the "windy city".

Chloe.

Answer 6

i actually didnt think it was that windy (i might be used to it)

Answer 7

It's not windy in particular, but any coastal town, and Fremantle is actually a port city on the coast whereas Perth in slightly more inland, is going to be pretty breezy.

The Fremantle Doctor is an afternoon sea breeze caused every summer's day by the land hotting up and drawing in cooler air from above the ocean.

Answer 8

The wind band is probably the 'Roaring Forties', however that is some way south of Western Australia.

Perth is actually not that windy a city, although there are two local effects that have some effect. One is the daytime westerly sea breeze, termed the Fremantle Doctor and the other is the easterly breeze at night where a strong localised wind forms due to air that is cooled under clear skies inland and then falls down the escarpment like a waterfall.

The interaction between the prevailing wind and these two effects can cause arrivals into Perth airport to be 'interesting'.

Geraldton (220 miles/400kms north of Perth) and Cape Leeuwin (about the same to the south) are probably truly windy places.