What are land breezes?

A land breeze is when the wind blows from the land to the sea at night.

Imagine you're wearing a heavy sweater on a cold day, that’s how the land feels at night after a warm day. The ground cools down faster than the water, so it gets colder. The air above the land becomes cooler and heavier, while the air above the sea stays warmer and lighter. Just like when you blow out a hot cup of soup, the warm air rises, and the cool air moves in to take its place.

During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea, creating a sea breeze (which we’ll save for another time). But at night, everything flips!

The land loses heat quickly, making the air above it cooler. This cool, heavy air sinks and moves toward the warmer, lighter air over the sea, that’s your land breeze! It's like when you take off a warm blanket and feel the cold air rush in.

If you live near the beach, you might notice this breeze at night. It can make it feel cooler by the shore, just like how your room feels fresher after you open a window on a hot day!