|
Beaufort
Force |
Windspeed
Knots |
Description |
Sea Condition |
|
0 |
0 |
Calm |
Sea like a mirror |
|
1 |
1 - 3 |
Light Air |
Ripples but without foam crests |
|
2 |
4 - 6 |
Light Breeze |
Small wavelets. Crests do not break |
|
3 |
7 - 10 |
Gentle Breeze |
Large wavelets. Perhaps scattered white
horses |
|
4 |
11 - 16 |
Moderate Breeze |
Small waves. Fairly frequent white horses. |
|
5 |
17 - 21 |
Fresh Breeze |
Moderate waves, many white horses |
|
6 |
22 - 27 |
Strong Breeze |
Large waves begin to form; white foam crests,
probably spray |
|
7 |
28 - 33 |
Near Gale |
Sea heaps up and white foam blown in streaks
along the direction of the wind |
|
8 |
34 - 40 |
Gale |
Moderately high waves, crests begin to break
into spindrift |
|
9 |
41 - 47 |
Strong Gale |
High waves. Dense foam along the direction of
the wind. Crests of waves begin to roll over. Spray may affect visibility |
|
10 |
48 - 55 |
Storm |
Very high waves with long overhanging crests.
The surface of the sea takes a white appearance. The tumbling of the sea
becomes heavy and shock like. Visibility affected |
|
11 |
56 - 63 |
Violent Storm |
Exceptionally high waves. The sea is
completely covered with long white patches of foam lying in the direction of
the wind. Visibility affected |
|
12 |
64+ |
Hurricane |
The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea
completely white with driving spray. Visibility very seriously affected. |
