Can wind travel faster than the speed of sound? The simple answer is yes. The wind is just the bulk movement of a mass of air, and so there is no limit on its speed other than the universal speed limit of the speed of light. The speed of sound is not a fundamental speed, but rather the rate at which a mechanical wave travels through a material. Different materials have different speeds of sound. Wind speed and the speed of sound are completely independent of each other, and wind speed can be as fast as the speed of light if you pick your frame of reference correctly.
What would happen if wind speed exceeded the speed of sound? In isolation, not much. Wind moving faster than the speed of sound in isolation is still just wind. But, if that supersonic wind hits a stationary object, it will create a sonic boom and knock that object forcefully. The same would be true if a jet flew faster than the speed of sound through stationary air – both scenarios would create a sonic boom. Sustained wind speeds above 60 miles per hour are enough to cause considerable damage, so if there were winds going faster than the speed of sound, they would likely cause even more destruction.
In conclusion, wind can indeed travel faster than the speed of sound. This type of wind would create sonic booms when it hits stationary objects, and sustained wind speeds faster than the speed of sound would likely cause a great deal of damage.
