Overview
- A peer-reviewed Nature Communications study finds the 50-year reference wind speed has risen across 63% of global coastal regions based on 1940–2023 data measured at 100 meters.
- More than 40% of operating and planned offshore turbines in Europe and Asia are already exposed to winds above IEC Class III thresholds, with over 60% of those sites projected to see further increases.
- Regional hotspots include southeast England and coastal waters of Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden, while decreases are mainly observed along parts of Spain and Italy.
- The study notes the highest shares of exceedances along the coasts of Canada, England, Japan and southern Argentina, indicating concentrated risk zones for asset operators and insurers.
- Extreme winds already account for roughly 55% of turbine outages, and recent damage such as six turbine collapses during Typhoon Yagi in 2024 underscores calls to update standards, siting and resilience as turbines grow taller.