How long should a wind speed be sustained to report it as a gust?

To report a wind speed as a gust, it must be sustained for a minimum duration, commonly recognized as 5 seconds. However, in the context of observing and reporting wind data, the gust is defined as a brief increase in wind speed that is significantly higher than the average wind speed over a specified period.

The accepted standard is that wind gusts are considered when the sustained wind speed exceeds the average wind speed by a notable amount and is specifically defined based on guidelines used by meteorological organizations. Typically, this means that the max wind speed during a sustained period of 5 minutes is taken into account and then can be reported if it significantly exceeds the sustained average. Although wind measurements are often reported in relation to their maximum values observed over shorter durations (like 2 seconds), the 5-minute average is critical for establishing what constitutes a gust phenomenon in official reports.

This practice ensures that meteorological data is both reliable and consistent across observations, leading to better forecasts and warning systems. Therefore, recognizing that the 5-minute period establishes a robust average helps to accurately interpret the wind behavior over time, especially in contexts like weather forecasting.