Which meteorological unit is commonly used to measure wind speed?

Wind speed in aviation is predominantly measured in knots, which is a nautical unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. This unit is favored in aviation and maritime contexts because it is directly related to the earth's geography. A nautical mile is based on the circumference of the Earth and is useful for navigation purposes, especially over large distances. Additionally, using knots simplifies conversions related to flying and sailing over water, where distances are also measured in nautical miles.

While kilometers per hour, miles per hour, and feet per second are all valid measures of speed, they are less commonly used in aviation settings. Kilometers per hour are often used in ground transportation, while miles per hour are more common in the United States for road speed limits. Feet per second is typically used in more specific contexts such as certain engineering applications but is not practical for measuring wind speed in aviation. Therefore, knots remains the standard unit of wind speed used in aviation.