Wellington's wind causes its fair share of injuries

The capital's earned itself a few nicknames over the years; the "Coolest Little Capital in the World", "Wellywood" and whether it likes the title or not, "Windy Welly".

The city's notorious wind is as much a part of it as the Beehive, the bucket fountain and its coffee and craft beer drinking citizens.

But Wellington's wind also has a sinister side – it stops ferries, halts planes, downs trees and power poles and sends recycling flying down the street.

It also causes its fair share of injuries.

Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) figures show from January 1, 2016 to November 8, 2018 there have been 1614 wind and storm related injury claims in the Wellington region.

Words such as "gale" "gust" "storm" and "wind" were recorded in accident descriptions.

Injuries recorded by year

2016 – 591

2017 – 562

2018 (YTD) - 461

The most common injuries caused were soft tissue, like sprains and strains. Laceration and punctures were second, while a "foreign body" in an eye or an orifice was the third most recorded injury.

Wellywood sign being erected / File Photo

It seems that a wind injury can hit anytime and in any place.

Neil Boothby said he got injured while playing golf.

"I once got hit by a golf ball whilst 2 fairways across [approximately 250 yards away] as the wind took it off course and it hit me plum on the back of the head."

He said there was no serious damage but the ball travelled an "unbelievable" distance due to the wind.

Another resident was cycling down Onslow Rd on his way to work when strong wind took him off the bike and into a fence on the side of the road. He bounced off the fence and in front of an oncoming truck. The truck managed to stop but the incident left him cut up and with numerous broken ribs.

Wellington Wind Surfers / File Photo

But why is it so windy in the capital? Niwa's principal science forecaster, Chris Brandolino, said the main reason was down to where it sits next to Cook Strait.

Brandolino said there was only a small channel of passageway for all the air brewing over the Tasman Sea to flow through.

He likened the process to a garden hose and what happens when you put your thumb over a part of it.

Brandolino said it meant the water squirted out faster because the area for the fluid was decreased.

"It's kind of the same thing, all of that air over the Tasman Sea is being forced through a tiny notch, the Cook Strait.

"When it does so, it's Mother Nature basically putting her thumb over the garden hose and that makes the wind blow even faster."

He said "without question" the wind could push people over.

The wind could be accentuated even further in a city environment with streets and narrow alleyways, he said.

Wellington Airport has 166 days a year on average where there are gusts exceeding 63km/h. The suburb of Kelburn has 198 days on average with winds over that strength. It also has 61 days a year with gusts more than 96km/h.

The strongest wind gust ever recorded in the city was 248km/h at Hawkins Hill on November 6, 1959 and again on July 4, 1962. However, this location is exposed and has no population.

In more populated areas, Wellington Airport recorded a gust of 187km/h and Kelburn 198 km/h on April 10, 1968, during the Wahine Storm.

So it's not just a case of Wellingtonian's being sensitive to a breeze – the complaints are justified. Especially when the strongest gust recorded this year in Chicago, dubbed the "Windy City", was 40.7km/h.

And, while it's true you can't beat Welly on a good day – it seems the world struggles to beat Welly on a windy day as well.