Wind Characteristics at Agadez and Tahoua Weather Stations

ABSTRACT This study investigates the characteristics of wind speed in two synoptic weather stations in Niger. Hence, three hourly wind data including wind speed and direction from 2009 to 2019 were used. Prior to the analysis, the dataset was pre‐processed to remove corrupted and irrelevant data. Statistical analysis was conducted on the dataset to understand the variability of the wind speed and wind direction at the two synoptic stations. The results showed that the highest prevailing wind is recorded in the Agadez region with average wind speeds ranging from [3; 6] m/s and [6; 10] m/s at 10 m altitude. The dominant directions are the East from September to May, then the West from June to August. At the Tahoua station, the prevailing winds have average speeds also belonging to [3; 6] m/s and [6; 10] m/s at 10 m altitude, but the dominant directions are East and East‐North‐East from October to April, then West and South‐West from May to September. These findings are useful for the effective planning of a wind energy project in Niger as they provide useful insight regarding the wind characteristics in two windy regions in Niger.