Vertical wind shear is present nearly everywhere on Earth, since winds typically move faster at higher altitudes than at the surface. It can be stronger or weaker than normal, and that’s ...

Vertical wind shear can keep tropical storms in check, particularly during El Niño years. When El Niño is gone, it’s a different story.

El Niño’s and La Niña’s influence Wind shear becomes a hot topic during El Niño years, when wind shear tends to be stronger over the Atlantic during hurricane season.

Shear measures the variation in the velocity and direction of wind flow at various levels of the atmosphere. The more shear there is, the more turbulent the atmosphere.