When landing in adverse weather, which runway orientation poses the greatest challenge for crosswind landings?

Runways that are perpendicular to the wind present the greatest challenge for crosswind landings because they expose the aircraft to significant side winds during the approach and landing phases. When the aircraft is landing on a runway that runs at a right angle to the wind direction, the crosswind component can push the aircraft off its intended flight path, making it more difficult for the pilot to maintain control and alignment with the runway.

In these conditions, pilots must employ techniques such as wing-low method, where the wing into the wind is lowered to counteract the lateral movement, or use of rudder inputs to maintain directional control. Additionally, the risk of drifting off the runway centerline is increased, creating the potential for a dangerous situation during landing.

Runways aligned with the wind direction or parallel to it would allow for a more straightforward landing, as the aircraft would primarily face headwinds or tailwinds, reducing the challenges associated with lateral control. Likewise, diagonal runways, while also presenting some risk, would typically provide a lesser degree of challenge compared to directly perpendicular runways, as they can mitigate the amount of crosswind component impacting the aircraft.