Statistical analysis of extreme wind events in mixed wind climate

The accurate estimation of design wind speeds is crucial for structural safety, yet it remains particularly challenging in mixed wind climates where multiple phenomena like thunderstorms, depressions, and gust fronts coexist. This complexity, coupled with a lack of studies that explicitly separate these phenomena and analyze their vertical variation, motivates this research. This study presents a comprehensive statistical analysis of extreme wind speeds in a mixed climate, based on measurements from three closely spaced anemometers exposed to different local surroundings and a LiDAR profiler. The analysis examines whether the statistics of extreme events are influenced by local surroundings and how they vary with height. Results indicate that thunderstorms dominate the extreme wind climate for return periods exceeding 20 years at low height in port areas, while synoptic phenomena prevail in an urban setting. LiDAR data analysis reveals that, for a fixed return period, thunderstorm-induced winds have a maximum for heights above the ground between 80 and 100 m, decreasing at higher elevations, contrary to the increasing trend of synoptic winds.