What is major windblow?
Major windblow is an extreme wind event exceeding speeds of 90 mph that causes damage to trees exceeding predefined thresholds at regional or national levels.
Major windblow events can cause serious problems for forests and society such as:
- uprooting and breaking trees
- preventing emergency services access
- disrupting electricity, water, phone, gas services and public transport
While major windblow events are rare, and their frequency, scale and location are unpredictable, it must be recognised that climate change is increasing the likelihood.
Past major wind blow events in Scotland
| Date | Region affected | Volume of wind blown timber (million cubic metres) |
| January 1953 | North-east Scotland | 1.8 |
| January 1968 | Central Scotland | 1.64 |
| November 2021 | North-east Scotland, Central Scotland, Southern Scotland | 2.85 |
The Scottish Windblow Contingency Plan
The Scottish Windblow Contingency Plan details the strategy for dealing with major windblow events in Scottish forests. It covers:
- information about the forest planning measures that can increase the resilience of forests to storm events
- steps that should be taken to prepare for all windblow events
- processes that are triggered when winds ≥90 mph are forecast responses that will occur after a potentially major windblow event