Opposing wind directions

Tabnabs

A bit of an odd one and probably a very basic question, but I have noticed on occasion surface winds blowing in a different direction to higher elevation winds.

For example, I've observed the wind in Dublin Bay blowing in an easterly direction and sufficient to cause the waves to begin to break (therefore about a force 4 to 5). But when watching the clouds overhead, they are all moving from a south westerly wind direction.

It doesn't seem to last for very long (maybe about 15-20 minutes) and the wind will moderate again.

Is this your classic sea breeze (but why the short duration) or some sort of local anomaly (my solution for lots of unknowns!)?

Supercell

Hi Tabnabs, this happens when there is an area of low pressure passing to the south of your location.
The upper winds that drive the towards Scandanavia or northern Europe are going in a westerterly to northwesterly direction whilst the lower winds wrapped around the low are easterly in direction.
Thus at low levels the wind and the clouds seem to be going in different directions.
In fact during showery days (with big shower clouds rising high) like the last few you are likely to see low clouds moving one way and higher more whispy looking ones going completely the opposite direction!

As you can see from the picture below , this is exactly the situation we will have again today (and have been having a lot recently), the low to the south will pass across southern Ireland today and people to the north of the center will see clouds moving in different directions, and feel a breeze going the "wrong" way!!



As the wind naturally ebbs and flows youll feel this more at low level. On a summers day sea breezes will just make things a bit more messy!

ch750536

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn4qhO0H1NE

go to around 3mins in, you will see clouds moving in opposite directions, neither of them the direction of the wind at ground level...