Preface

Ocean surface winds are an important parameter for various meteorological and oceanographic applications. These are utilized not only for the study of severe weather events like cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons, but are also important for assimilation in numerical weather forecast models to improve the forecast. The ocean surface winds also cater to the forcing of ocean wave and circulation models used for ocean state forecasts. In situ measurements of winds by buoys and ships are point observations and also very few in number to provide a synoptic view.