We’ve all felt the wind blow. The wind helps us fly kites, sail boats and dry our washing when it’s out on the line!

Wind can be very helpful, but when it's too strong, it can be destructive.

Wind affects our day - to - day lives in lots of different ways.

Wind that blows around us can make us feel colder than the actual air temperature. This is because the wind moves heat and moisture away from our bodies. We call this wind chill factor. On hot days you might be glad of wind chill - it can cool our bodies and make the heat more bearable. But on cold calls wind can make us feel very chilly so we need to wrap up in warm.

The wind is useful in many ways. It scatters seeds from plants like dandelions and sycamore trees. The seeds are blown by the wind and fall to the ground where they can grow into new plants.

It blows away fog and pollution in cities, which helps make it clearer for us to see.

We can generate electricity using wind turbines. Wind turns huge blades which spins a generator to create electricity. This can help to power our homes and schools.

It’s not all good news though. Strong winds and gusts can make driving difficult for lorries and buses.

Planes, ferries and trains also have to be careful. They won’t set off in very windy weather because the strong winds make it less safe to travel.

Strong winds called gales can cause damage like blowing tiles off rooftops or branches off trees.

Some of the strongest winds recorded on earth are found in tornadoes. These are rapidly spinning columns of air that form between storm clouds and the ground.

The USA has the most tornadoes in the world and they can be very destructive. We get around 30 to 50 tornadoes a year in the UK but they are usually very small and don't have much impact.

So the next time you feel a gentle breeze blowing through the trees or hear the wind battering against your window, think about all the ways that wind can affect the world around us.