böen

Böen is a German-language meteorological term for gusts of wind. The singular form Böe refers to a brief, rapid increase in wind speed above the prevailing wind, while the plural Böen denotes multiple such gusts. In weather forecasts and warnings, Böen describe transient enhancements of wind that can occur with front passages, convective activity, or squalls. They are typically short-lived, lasting seconds to minutes, and may vary in direction and intensity.

Forecasters use Böen to warn about conditions that can affect outdoor work, driving, sailing, and aviation, even when the overall wind field is not unusually strong. The term is often paired with qualifiers such as leich­te Böen (light gusts) or Sturmböen (storm gusts) to convey expected strength. In official bulletins, measurements from weather stations quantify gusts with peak speeds or gust factors, but Böen emphasizes the transient nature rather than sustained wind.

Beyond meteorology, Böen can also appear as a place name in some German-speaking regions; in those contexts the word is unrelated to wind. The term is thus primarily a technical expression in weather reporting, but readers may encounter it in maps or local nomenclature as well.