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The Beaufort Wind Scale

Was developed in 1805 by the British Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort. It was one of the first scales to help sailors estimate wind speeds and their effects by visual observations. The scale starts at 0 (least severe) through to 12 (most severe).

The Beaufort scale is still in use to this day, and can be heard on the Met Office Shipping Forecast.

Force Knots MPH Description Sea Land
0 0-1 0-1 Calm Mirror Like Calm
1 1 - 3 1-3 Light Airs Ripples Smoke drift
2 4-7 4-6 Light Breeze Small Wavelets Non breaking crests Felt On Face Leaves Rustle
3 8-12 7-10 Gentle Breeze Large Wavelets Crests begin to break Constant Motion of leaves & light flags
4 13-18 11-16 Moderate Breeze Small Waves Fairly frequent white horses Raises dust & loose paper. Small branches moving.
5 19-24 17-21 Fresh Breeze Moderate Waves Many white hoses. Some spray. Small Trees Sway Inland waters have crested wavelets.
6 25-31 22-27 Strong Breeze Large Waves White foam crests. Probable spray. Large Branches Move Phone lines whistle. Difficult to hold umbrella
7 32-38 28-33 Near Gale Sea Heaps Up White foam starts to streak in wind direction Whole Trees Move Difficult to walk into wind
8 38-46 34-40 Gale Moderate High Waves Long waves with foam. Twigs Snap From Trees Impedes forward progress
9 47-54 41-47 Severe Gale High Waves Crests of waves tumble, topple and roll over Slight Structural Damage Typically chimneys and roof slates
10 55-63 48-55 Storm Very High Seas Surface takes on white appearance, heavy tumbling and visibility reduced. Trees Uprooted Considerable structural damage
11 64-72 56-63 Violent Storm Exceptionally High Waves Long white patches of foam everywhere. Wave crests blown into froth. Visibility severely affected. Rare Inland Wide spread damage
12 73-83 64-71 Hurricane Huge Waves Sea completely white, air filled with foam and spray. Visibility very seriously affected. Very Rare Inland Devastating damage and loss of life.