Weird Wind Effect

[Paul]

First off I should point out that my washing line is close to the building, so this is unlikely to be caused by an animal (and even if it weren't I cannot see how an animal could have done this).

Because it was very windy when I hung up my clothes I hung the trousers by the waistband (legs pointing down) and used five pegs per pair. I hung several pairs of trousers next to each other. When I came to bring them in one pair had been blown off the line. On the trousers on either side, the leg nearest the pair blown off had been blown up and twisted round the line. But none of the other trousers had been affected. And even the second leg on the two pairs with the leg twisted round the line, had not been effected. It was as though a tube or wall of wind about two foot wide had been a lot stronger than the wind around it. Does anyone know what this phenomenon is, and how it happens?

Also, if it makes any difference to this occurance, it rained heavily for several hours while the washing was on the line.

[Jean]

Or, it could be called the act of a dangerous person with no pants, LOL

[Charlie B53]

Nature does strange things.

I miss living near the Coast and fishing for larger salt water fish.  We don't have any of that here in the mid-West.

I use It's a small kite but it has a 30 foot 'tail' made of mylar.  The tail starts about 15 inches wide and tapers down to a small point.  I have almost a half mile of 30 pound Spider Wire line.  The line is very thin so I easily spooled rolls ont o the reel.  I can let out ALL the line and that 30 foot length looks smaller than the nail on my little finger.  It gets way out there!

Getting back to Mother Nature.......

The wind 'tugs' and pulls in that kite making the rod flex and bend, tugging much like having a fish on a hook!

I have a number of fishing rods, as well as a number of other kites.

What can I say?  I'm a 'Guy' and like to play with Toys.

And if/when the Wife tells me to "Go fly a Kite"      I CAN!

[Rerun]

It was kids....

[Paul]

It was kids....

If it was further from the building that would have been my first guess. But the line was about three foot from large French windows, they don't come that close unless they are breaking in.

[Paul]

Should have said earlier: Thanks for your suggestions.

[Michael Murphy]

My guess would be the clips were on only one side of the waist allowing the missing pants to fill like a spiniker and get pulled of by the wind.

[PrimeTimer]

Did a cold front blow through your area? Sometimes when the weather changes the wind will blow in one direction then suddenly shift and blow from another. Almost reverses itself. When it does this it can create a swirling action. I don't think a tornado blew through your area but as for the trousers that seemed undisturbed, tornadoes can behave in that way. Tornadoes can completely destroy things while leaving some things completely untouched. Given your location in England, I suspect a change in weather caused the weird wind pattern. You probably already know this but weird wind is especially common during the change of seasons (winter/summer). Sorry you got your trousers all twisted up over it (lol....sorry, couldn't resist that one). 

[Paul]

My guess would be the clips were on only one side of the waist allowing the missing pants to fill like a spiniker and get pulled of by the wind.

No, this could not have happened. Because of the wind I had folded the belt area of the trousers over the line before clipping.

Did a cold front blow through your area? Sometimes when the weather changes the wind will blow in one direction then suddenly shift and blow from another. Almost reverses itself. When it does this it can create a swirling action.

This is entirely possible, probable even, to explain the legs twisted round, but not why it hit such a small area of the line.

I don't think a tornado blew through your area but as for the trousers that seemed undisturbed, tornadoes can behave in that way. Tornadoes can completely destroy things while leaving some things completely untouched.

A tornado is possible, apparently we have more tornadoes per head of population in England that in the US, although not usually as powerful. (I remember exception to this: I was spending a week in a penthouse on top of a tower block, looking after the owner's dogs and cats when a really powerful tornado hit. The wind smashed the bulletproof glass door onto the roof patio. And I remember waking up and telling one of the dogs that we were not in Kansas anymore. Dog had not seen Wizard Of Oz, so did not laugh.)

However I did not think tornadoes were ever as narrow as two foot, which this one would have had to have been to cause this effect.

[Charlie B53]

Growing up in the Yakima Valley I would often see 'weird wind, gusting across fields.  Many times forming mini tornados but only a few feet high.  Dust devils more often called.  We had tumbleweeds from small to large and often see a small one lifted, spinning sometimes up to 20 feet or so.

Being kids, we would race and jump into the center in attempt to get 'lifted' and fly.    It never worked.

[Michael Murphy]

I since you mentioned it started raining it possibly was caused by a gust front,  A gust front is a period of wind that occurs when a weather front storm arrives the first indication is a strong gusty wind, hence gust front.  Anyone who has sailed learns that while severe head into them and ride it out it won’t last long.