Gale force winds over the Irminger Sea to the east of Cape Farewell, Greenland

High wind events that occur over the Irminger Sea to the east of Cape Farewell Greenland are of interest as a result of the significant hazard they represent to maritime activity as well as their potential role in forcing deep ocean convection in the region. In this paper, the NCEP reanalysis is used to develop a climatology of gale force wind events over the Irminger Sea. In addition to the previously identified 'tip jet' events that are characterized by strong westerly flow, we show that there also exist 'reverse tip jet' events that are characterized by strong easterly flow. Both types of events are associated with deep extra-tropical cyclones that are undergoing an interaction with the high topography of southern Greenland. We also show that the frequency of both types of events is highest in the winter months and is modulated by the phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).