Beaufort Wind Speed Estimate Scale |
Beaufort |
Description |
Wind Speed |
Observations |
MPH |
Knots |
On Land |
On Water Surfaces |
0 |
Calm |
0 |
0-1 |
Calm. Smoke rises vertically. |
Waters are mirror smooth. |
1 |
Light Air |
1-3 |
1-3 |
Smokes drift indicates wind direction. Still wind vanes. |
Waters have a ripple. |
2 |
Light Breeze |
4-7 |
4-6 |
Wind is felt on face, leaves rustle, wind vanes begin to move. |
Small wavelets, crests glassy, no breaking. |
3 |
Gentle Breeze |
8-12 |
7-10 |
Leaves and small twigs constantly move, light flags are extended. |
Large wavelets, crests begin to break, scattered whitecaps. |
4 |
Moderate Breeze |
13-18 |
11-16 |
Dust, leaves and loose paper lifted, small tree branches move. |
Small waves (1-4 ft) becoming longer with numerous whitecaps. |
5 |
Fresh Breeze |
19-24 |
17-21 |
Small trees in leaf begin to sway. |
Moderate waves (4-8 ft) taking longer form, many whitecaps, some spray. |
6 |
Strong Breeze |
25-31 |
22-27 |
Larger trees begin moving, whistling in wires. |
Larger waves (8-13 ft), whitecaps common, more spray. |
7 |
Near Gale |
32-38 |
28-33 |
Whole trees moving, resistance felft walking against wind. |
Mounting sea (seas heaps) (waves 13-20 ft), foam streaks off of breakers. |
8 |
Gale |
39-46 |
34-40 |
Whole trees in motion, resistance felt walking in wind. |
Moderately high waves (13-20 ft) of greater length, edges of crests begin to break into spindrift, foam blown in streaks. |
9 |
Strong Gale |
47-54 |
41-47 |
Branches break from trees, slate blows off roofs, slight structural damage. |
High waves (20 ft), sea begins to roll, dense streaks of foam, visibility affected by spray. |
10 |
Storm |
55-63 |
48-55 |
Trees broken or uprooted, considerable structural damage. |
Very high waves (20-30 ft) with overhanging crests, sea white with dense blown foam, heavy sea roll, visibility impaired. |
11 |
Violent Storm |
64-73 |
56-63 |
Widespread damage. |
Exceptionally high waves (30-45 ft), foam patches cover the sea, poor visibility. |
12 |
Hurricane |
74+ |
64+ |
Major damage. |
Storm waves (> 45 ft), air filled with foam and spray, sea completely white, visibility bad. |