Beaufort Wind Force Scale and Sea State Page 1 of 5

BEAUFORT WIND FORCE SCALE:

Specifications and equivalent speeds for use at sea
FORCE Equivalent Speed Wave Height Description Map U.S. Advisory SPECIFICATIONS FOR USE AT SEA
miles/hr knots m ft Symbols Flags
0 0-1 0-1 0 0 Calm Sea like a mirror
1 1-3 1-3 .1 .33 Light Air Ripples with the appearance of scales are formed, but without foam
crests.
2 4-7 4-6 .2 .66 Light Breeze Small wavelets, still short, but more pronounced. Crests have a glassy
appearance and do not break.
3 8-12 7-10 .6 2 Gentle Breeze Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Foam of glassy appearance.
Perhaps scattered white horses.
4 13-18 11-16 1 3.3 Moderate Breeze Small waves, becoming larger; fairly frequent white horses.
5 19-24 17-21 2 6.6 Fresh Breeze Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white
horses are formed. Chance of some spray.
6 25-31 22-27 3 9.9 Strong Breeze Small Craft Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive
Advisory everywhere. Probably some spray.

7 32-38 28-33 4 13 Near Gale Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begins to be
blown in streaks along the direction of the wind.
8 39-46 34-40 5.5 18 Gale Gale Warning Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to
breakinto spindrift. The foam is blown in well-marked streaks slong the
direction of the wind.
9 47-54 41-47 7 23 Severe Gale High waves. Dense streaks of foam along the direction of the wind.
Crests of waves begin to topple, tumble and roll over. Spray may
affect visibility.
10 55-63 48-55 9 30 Storm Storm Warning Very high waves with long over-hanging crests. The resulting foam, in
great patches, is blown in dense white streaks along the direction of
the wind. On the whole the surface of the sea takes on a white
appearance. The 'tumbling' of the sea becomes heavy and shock-like.
Visibility affected.
11 64-72 56-63 11.5 38 Violent Storm Exceptionally high waves (small and medium-size ships might be for a
time lost to view behind the waves). The sea is completely covered
with long white patches of foam lying along the direction of the wind.
Everywhere the edges of the wave crests are blown into froth. Visibility
affected.
12 73-83 64-71 14+ 46+ Hurricane Hurricane Warning The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea completely white with driving
spray; visibility very seriously affected.

"The scale was created in 1806 by Sir Francis Beaufort, a British naval officer. The initial scale did not have wind speeds, but listed a set of qualitative conditions from 0 to
12 by how a naval vessel would act under them - from 'just sufficient to give steerage' to 'that which no canvas could withstand'. The scale was made a standard part of log
entries for Royal Navy vessels in the late 1830s." From Wikepedia

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Beaufort Wind Force Scale and Sea State Page 2 of 5

Force 0 Force 1
Sea like a mirror Ripples with the appearance of scales are
formed, but without foam crests.

Force 2 Force 3
Small wavelets, still short, but more pronounced. Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Foam of
Crests have a glassy appearance and do not glassy appearance. Perhaps scattered white
break.Ripples with the appearance of scales are horses.
formed, but without foam crests.

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Beaufort Wind Force Scale and Sea State Page 3 of 5

Force 4 Force 5
Small waves, becoming larger; fairly frequent Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced
white horses. long form; many white horses are formed.
Chance of some spray.

Force 6 Force 7
Large waves begin to form; the white foam Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking
crests are more extensive everywhere. Probably waves begins to be blown in streaks along the
some spray. direction of the wind.

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Beaufort Wind Force Scale and Sea State Page 4 of 5

Force 8 Force 9
Moderately high waves of greater length; edges High waves. Dense streaks of foam along the
of crests begin to breakinto spindrift. The foam is direction of the wind. Crests of waves begin to
blown in well-marked streaks slong the direction topple, tumble and roll over. Spray may affect
of the wind. visibility.

Force 10 Force 11
Exceptionally high waves (small and medium-
Very high waves with long over-hanging crests.
size ships might be for a time lost to view behind
The resulting foam, in great patches, is blown in
the waves). The sea is completely covered with
dense white streaks along the direction of the
long white patches of foam lying along the
wind. On the whole the surface of the sea takes
direction of the wind. Everywhere the edges of
on a white appearance. The 'tumbling' of the sea
the wave crests are blown into froth. Visibility
becomes heavy and shock-like. Visibility
affected.
affected.

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Beaufort Wind Force Scale and Sea State Page 5 of 5

Force 12
The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea
completely white with driving spray; visibility very
seriously affected.

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