Land Breeze

A local wind that blows from the land towards the sea, typically during the night, caused by the differential cooling rates of land and water.

A land breeze is a coastal meteorological phenomenon that occurs when the land cools more quickly than the adjacent sea after sunset. As the land loses heat rapidly during the night, the air above it becomes cooler and denser compared to the warmer air over the sea, which retains heat longer due to water’s higher specific heat capacity. This difference in temperature creates a pressure gradient, causing the cooler, denser air over the land to move seaward, replacing the warmer, rising air over the water. The result is a gentle offshore wind, usually occurring during the late evening to early morning hours. Land breezes are generally weaker than sea breezes due to the smaller temperature contrast at night, and they tend to be most noticeable in calm, clear weather conditions. These breezes can influence local sea conditions, sometimes flattening nearshore waves or affecting anchorage comfort. They are also important for coastal navigation and anchoring decisions, as they can alter a vessel’s orientation or drift during the night.