The spatial variation and diurnal fluctuation of sea surface wind over the Qiongzhou Strait were described using verified datasets from automatic weather stations on board a ferry,buoys,and on the coast.Results are as follows:(1)On average,sea surface wind speed is 3-4 m/s larger over the Qiongzhou Strait than in the coastal area.Sea surface wind speeds of 8.0 m/s or above(on Beaufort scale five)in the coastal area are associated with speeds 5-6 m/s greater over the surface of the Qiongzhou Strait.(2)Gust coefficients for the Qiongzhou Strait decrease along with increasing wind speeds.When coastal wind speed is less than scale five,the average gust coefficient over the sea surface is between 1.4 and 1.5; when wind speed is equal to scale five or above,the average gust coefficient is about 1.35.(3)In autumn and winter,the diurnal differences of average wind speed and wind consistency over the strait are less than those in the coastal area; when wind speed is 10.8 m/s(scale six)or above,the diurnal difference of average wind speed decreases while wind consistency increases for both the strait and the coast.