Land and Sea Breezes

Land and sea breezes are restricted to coastal areas where air temperatures contrast between day and night. Though they occur on middle-latitude coasts in stones they are found mainly along tropical coasts.

1. Sea Breeze: Sea breeze is the movement of air from the sea to the land during the day. The coastlands are heated up much faster than the sea during the day. Consequently, the warm air over the coastlands raises and forms a region of low pressure. The sea remains comparatively cool, with a higher pressure. This cause a sea breeze to blow in from the sea to the land. Its speed or strength between 8 to 32km per hour while its influence does not normally exceed 24km from the coast.

2. Land Breeze: Land breeze is the movement of air from land to sea at night. During the night, the reverse of what happens to cause a sea breeze occurs. The sea loses heat more slowly than the land and becomes warmer than the coastlands. Low pressure occurs over the sea while wind blows from the land to the sea at a lower speed of 8km per hour.