The technique of proper orthogonal decomposition is potentially useful in specifying the fluctuating surface pressure field around structures. However there has been a degree of controversy over whether or not the calculated modes have physical meanings. This paper addresses this issue through consideration of the results of full scale experiments, and through an analytical investigation. It is concluded that the lower, most energetic modes are likely to reflect different fluctuating flow mechanisms, although no mode is likely to be associated with just one flow mechanism or vice versa. The higher, less energetic modes are likely to represent interactions between different flow mechanisms, and to be significantly affected by the number of measurement points and measurement errors. The paper concludes with a brief description of the application of POD to the problem of building ventilation, and the calculation of cladding pressures.