northeasterly

Northeasterly is a term used to describe the direction from which a wind originates: the northeast. In meteorology and navigation, winds are named for their source, so a northeasterly wind blows from the northeast toward the southwest.

As an adjective and adverb, it appears in phrases such as northeasterly wind or blows northeasterly. The noun form northeaster is occasionally used to refer to a northeasterly wind.

Usage is common in weather forecasts, nautical charts, aviation, and sailing, where northeasterly indicates origin rather than destination. It is part of standard wind-direction terminology alongside northerly, easterly, southerly, westerly, and the intercardinal directions such as northeast and northwest. Forecasts may describe wind strength and, when combined with direction, such as “northeasterly at 15 knots.”

Regional patterns vary by season and location. In tropical regions, the northeast trades are steady winds from the northeast toward the equator. In temperate zones, northeasterly flows can carry cold air from polar or continental sources, affecting weather in coastal and inland areas. The term is often used descriptively in meteorological discussions of air masses, fronts, and seasonal wind regimes.

See also: Wind direction; Compass point; Trade winds.