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BEAUFORT SCALE for Wind and Sea Conditions
Force |
Wind speed
(knots) |
Wind description |
Sea conditions |
Probable Average Wave Height (Feet)* |
0 |
0 |
Calm |
Smooth, like a mirror |
0 |
1 |
1-3 |
Light air |
Small ripples like fish scales |
¼-½ |
2 |
4-6 |
Light breeze |
Short, small pronounced wavelets with no crests |
¼-½ |
3 |
7-10 |
Gentle breeze |
Large wavelets with some crests |
2 |
4 |
11-16 |
Moderate breeze |
Increasingly longer small waves, some with whitecaps (foam crests) |
4 |
5 |
17-21 |
Fresh breeze |
Moderate lengthening waves, with many whitecaps and some spray |
6 |
6 |
22-27 |
Strong breeze |
Large waves, extensive whitecaps, some spray |
10 |
7 |
28-33 |
Near gale |
Heaps of waves, with some breakers whose foam is blown downwind in streaks |
14 |
8 |
34-40 |
Gale |
Moderately high waves of increasing length and edges of crests breaking into spindrift (heavy spray); spray is blown downwind in well-marked streaks |
18 |
9 |
41-47 |
Strong gale |
High waves with dense foam streaks and some crests rolling over |
23 |
10 |
48-55 |
Storm |
Very high waves, with long overhanging crests; the sea looks white, visibility is greatly reduced, and waves tumble with force |
29 |
11 |
56-63 |
Violent storm |
Exceptionally high waves that may obscure medium-sized ships; all wave edges are blown into froth and the sea is covered with patches of foam |
37 |
12 |
64-71 |
Hurricane |
Air is filled with foam and spray, and sea is completely white |
45 |
*Note: The NOAA weather service reports significant wave height as an average. Significant wave height, Hs, is approximately equal to the average of the highest one-third of the waves. Maximum wave height can be expected to exceed this reported figure.
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