beaufort wind scale lrg

Grunt Productions 2008

Beaufort ScaleBeaufort ScaleEstimating the strength of the Estimating the strength of the

wind wind

A Brief By Lance A Brief By Lance

GrindleyGrindley


Force 0 - CalmForce 0 - Calm

• Sea like a mirror Sea like a mirror

• 0 knots0 knots


Force 1 – Light AirForce 1 – Light Air

• Ripples with the Ripples with the appearance of appearance of scales are scales are formed, but formed, but without without foam foam crests. crests.

• 1-3 knots1-3 knots


Force 2 – Light BreezeForce 2 – Light Breeze

• Small wavelets, still Small wavelets, still short, short, but more but more pronounced. Crests pronounced. Crests have a glassy have a glassy appearance and appearance and do not break. do not break.

• 4 – 6 knots4 – 6 knots


Force 3 – Gentle BreezeForce 3 – Gentle Breeze• Large wavelets. Large wavelets.

Crests begin Crests begin to break. Foam of to break. Foam of glassy glassy appearance. appearance. Perhaps scattered Perhaps scattered white horses. white horses.

• 7 – 10 knots 7 – 10 knots


Force 4 – Moderate BreezeForce 4 – Moderate Breeze• Small waves, Small waves,

becoming larger; becoming larger; fairly frequent fairly frequent white horses. white horses.

• 11 – 16 knots11 – 16 knots


Force 5 – Fresh BreezeForce 5 – Fresh Breeze

• Moderate waves, Moderate waves, taking a more taking a more pronounced long form; pronounced long form; many many white horses white horses are formed. are formed. Chance of some spray. Chance of some spray.

• 17 – 21 knots17 – 21 knots


Force 6 – Strong BreezeForce 6 – Strong Breeze

• Large waves begin to Large waves begin to form; the form; the white white foam crests are more foam crests are more extensive extensive everywhere. everywhere. Probably some spray. Probably some spray.

• 22 – 27 knots22 – 27 knots


Force 7 – Near GaleForce 7 – Near Gale

• Sea heaps up and Sea heaps up and white foam white foam from from breaking waves breaking waves begins to begins to be blown be blown in streaks along the in streaks along the direction of the wind. direction of the wind.

• 28 – 33 knots 28 – 33 knots


Force 8 – GaleForce 8 – Gale

• Moderately high waves Moderately high waves of greater of greater length; length; edges of crests begin to edges of crests begin to breakinto spindrift. The breakinto spindrift. The foam is foam is blown in well- blown in well-marked streaks marked streaks along along the direction of the the direction of the wind. wind.

• 34 – 40 knots34 – 40 knots


Force 9 – Strong GaleForce 9 – Strong Gale

• High waves. Dense High waves. Dense streaks of streaks of foam along foam along the direction of the the direction of the wind. Crests of waves wind. Crests of waves begin to begin to topple, tumble topple, tumble and roll over. Spray may and roll over. Spray may affect visibility. affect visibility.

• 41 – 47 knots41 – 47 knots


Force 10 – Storm Force 10 – Storm • Very high waves with long Very high waves with long

over- over- hanging crests. The hanging crests. The resulting resulting foam, in great foam, in great patches, is blown patches, is blown in dense in dense white streaks along the white streaks along the direction of the wind. On the direction of the wind. On the whole the surface of the sea whole the surface of the sea takes on a white takes on a white appearance. appearance. The 'tumbling' of The 'tumbling' of the sea becomes the sea becomes heavy and heavy and shock-like. Visibility affected. shock-like. Visibility affected.

• 48 – 55 knots48 – 55 knots


Force 11 – Violent StormForce 11 – Violent Storm• Exceptionally high waves Exceptionally high waves

(small (small and medium-size ships might and medium-size ships might be for be for a time lost to view behind a time lost to view behind the the waves). The sea is waves). The sea is completely completely covered with long covered with long white patches white patches of foam lying along of foam lying along the direction the direction of the wind. of the wind. Everywhere the edges Everywhere the edges of the wave of the wave crests are blown into crests are blown into froth. froth. Visibility affected. Visibility affected.

• 56 – 63 knots56 – 63 knots


Force 12 – Hurricane Force 12 – Hurricane • The air is filled with The air is filled with

foam and foam and spray. spray. Sea completely white Sea completely white with with driving driving spray; visibility very spray; visibility very seriously affected. seriously affected.

• 64 knots and over64 knots and over

beaufort wind scale lrg

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crests of waves

thethe waves

tolarge waves

toof waves

densehigh waves

whitewhite foam crests

longvery high waves