Abstract
This survey of the Dutch surface wind climate is based on hourly wind station data from the period 1945-1980 from over 40 wind stations and two lightvessels. A review is given of the used instrumentation and the applied evaluation procedures. General physical relations between local wind climate, boundary layer stratification and surface roughness are described. Procedures are given for the analysis of station wind data with due regard to local sheltering and mesoscale terrain effects. Data are presented on the diurnal and annual course of the wind as a function of continentality.