southwesterly

Southwesterly is an adjective used to describe wind or movement that originates from the southwest. In meteorology, a southwesterly wind blows from the southwest toward the northeast. The term can also describe anything that travels or points in a southwesterly direction. It is widely used in weather reports, maps, and nautical contexts.

In weather forecasting, the southwest is a source region for air masses that may bring moist, milder air to mid-latitudes, often associated with fronts or low-pressure systems approaching from the west or southwest. Winds labeled as southwesterly typically correspond to wind directions near 225 degrees on a compass (origin from 225 degrees).

The word is formed from the combination of south and west with the adverbial suffix -ly, and it appears throughout English usage. It is distinct from southwestern when describing location or orientation; southwesterly specifically refers to the direction of wind or movement.

In navigation and travel, a southwesterly course implies moving toward the southwest. The term appears in historical texts, shipping logs, and modern forecasts alike, and is interchangeable with “southwesterly wind” in many contexts.

See also compass directions; wind direction.