Difference between gust and maximum winds?
 

Hi!

Short question:Whats the difference between gusts and maximum winds?
Is it the same thing?

Regards,

According to the Environment Canada Meteorological Service MANOBS, (Manual of Surface Weather Observations), gusts are defined as sudden, rapid, and brief changes in the wind speed. They are characterized by more or less continual fluctuations between high (peak) and low (lull) speed. Gusts are reported when the highest peak speed is at least 5 knots higher than the current two-minute average and the highest peak is at least 15 knots. So you could see a reported wind of 270 degrees at 15 gusting to 28.

Squalls are essentially gusts with a longer duration of higher speeds.