Smaller wind turbines will be stall regulated, rather than pitch regulated. The effect is that they actually tend to have a drop off in power output at higher wind speeds below cut-out.

Pitch vs stall

Entropic man

I doubt the output from the windmills is constant over the wind speed range you cite. 0.5MW is probably the maximum, but I would guess that isn't reached until over 10 m/s wind speed.

Rhoda

IIRC the turbines up the road from me turn at 30 rpm and are governed to turn a 6-pole generator at 300rpm and generate 0.5 megawatt each. This remains constant between windspeeds of 2M/sec and 20M/sec.

Below 2M/sec there is insufficient torque to turn the generator. Above 20M/sec the blades feather to limit the stress.

rhoda:

Only over a portion of the range of wind speed does the actual output rise roughly in line with the theoretical cube law.

At higher speeds, it gets limited, and higher still it gets curtailed altogether. At low speeds there's not enough energy to operate.

Basic guide

Doesn't power out of a wind turbine vary as the cube of windspeed?

Sandy S. A question I asked myself, especially as they couldn't rule out El Nino as a cause. This seems to imply observations over a rather short time period. But I only had the ST news item to go on. I posted it because I thought it interesting, and because it might stimulate some other BHer to look at it further.

Alan Kendall
Increased in what time frame?
Does this mean the return of Clippers as container ships?

Jonathan Leake (Environment Editor, The Sunday Times) writes on a Chinese study that suggests average wind speeds worldwide have increased. Average speeds in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have reputedly increased from 15.4mph to 17mph, and in the north Atlantic they have risen to 18.7mph. Attributed to increased ocean surface temperatures (really?) due to climate change, or perhaps to El Nino (toss the dice perhaps?) the stronger winds are apparently blowing albatrosses away from their breeding grounds (why not towards them?) or tiring them out (I thought they soared).

Can we expect reports of a faster flowing Gulf Stream to quickly follow, as well as Chinese climate scientist jokes from golfCharlie?

golf charlie
Yes I carry two spare tubes* as well as a repair kit. Not forgetting a spare chain link, tyre levers, and multi-tool.It's not so bad in these days of mobile phones but being stuck miles from home is no fun no matter what the weather. For me checking the tyre for the cause of the puncture is normally the longest part of getting back on the road. Invariably the thorn/quartz flake/whatever is still in the tyre and while it's off it's wise to check for more. It all adds to the fun.

*Amongst my sons' friends I'm known as the Puncture King, although there is one of the lads who is almost as unlucky. It's very strange both of us get punctures more frequently in cars too. I wish I was as lucky at the Euromillions!