<P> The strength of the sea breeze is directly proportional to the temperature difference between the land mass and the sea . If an off - shore wind of 8 knots (15 km / h) exists, the sea breeze is not likely to develop . At night, the land cools off more quickly than the ocean due to differences in their specific heat values, which forces the daytime sea breeze to dissipate . If the temperature onshore cools below the temperature offshore, the pressure over the water will be lower than that of the land, establishing a land breeze, as long as an onshore wind is not strong enough to oppose it . </P> <P> Over elevated surfaces, heating of the ground exceeds the heating of the surrounding air at the same altitude above sea level, creating an associated thermal low over the terrain and enhancing any lows which would have otherwise existed, and changing the wind circulation of the region . In areas where there is rugged topography that significantly interrupts the environmental wind flow, the wind can change direction and accelerate parallel to the wind obstruction . This barrier jet can increase the low level wind by 45% . In mountainous areas, local distortion of the airflow is more severe . Jagged terrain combines to produce unpredictable flow patterns and turbulence, such as rotors . Strong updrafts, downdrafts and eddies develop as the air flows over hills and down valleys . Wind direction changes due to the contour of the land . If there is a pass in the mountain range, winds will rush through the pass with considerable speed due to the Bernoulli principle that describes an inverse relationship between speed and pressure . The airflow can remain turbulent and erratic for some distance downwind into the flatter countryside . These conditions are dangerous to ascending and descending airplanes . </P> <P> Daytime heating and nighttime cooling of the hilly slopes lead to day to night variations in the airflow, similar to the relationship between sea breeze and land breeze . At night, the sides of the hills cool through radiation of the heat . The air along the hills becomes cooler and denser, blowing down into the valley, drawn by gravity . This is known a katabatic wind or mountain breeze . If the slopes are covered with ice and snow, the katabatic wind will blow during the day, carrying the cold dense air into the warmer, barren valleys . The slopes of hills not covered by snow will be warmed during the day . The air that comes in contact with the warmed slopes becomes warmer and less dense and flows uphill . This is known as an anabatic wind or valley breeze . </P> <P> Orographic precipitation occurs on the windward side of mountains and is caused by the rising air motion of a large - scale flow of moist air across the mountain ridge, resulting in adiabatic cooling and condensation . In mountainous parts of the world subjected to consistent winds (for example, the trade winds), a more moist climate usually prevails on the windward side of a mountain than on the leeward or downwind side . Moisture is removed by orographic lift, leaving drier air (see katabatic wind) on the descending and generally warming, leeward side where a rain shadow is observed . </P>

Are surface winds weak or strong about the center of a subtropical high