Wind Ratings Chart
The chart below will give you all the information you need.
| Beaufort scale number | Descriptive term | Units in km/h | Units in knots | Description on Land | Description at Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Calm | 0 | 0 | Smoke rises vertically | Sea like a mirror. |
| 1-3 | Light winds | 19 km/h or less | 10 knots or less | Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary vanes moved by wind. | Small wavelets, ripples formed but do not break: A glassy appearance maintained. |
| 4 | Moderate winds | 20 - 29 km/h | 11-16 knots | Raises dust and loose paper; small branches are moved. | Small waves - becoming longer; fairly frequent white horses. |
| 5 | Fresh winds | 30 - 39 km/h | 17-21 knots | Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on inland waters | Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed - a chance of some spray |
| 6 | Strong winds | 40 - 50 km/h | 22-27 knots | Large branches in motion; whistling heard in telephone wires; umbrellas used with difficulty. | Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive with probably some spray |
| 7 | Near gale | 51 - 62 km/h | 28-33 knots | Whole trees in motion; inconvenience felt when walking against wind. | Sea heaps up and white foam from breaking waves begins to be blown in streaks along direction of wind. |
| 8 | Gale | 63 - 75 km/h | 34-40 knots | Twigs break off trees; progress generally impeded. | Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into spindrift; foam is blown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind. |
| 9 | Strong gale | 76 - 87 km/h | 41-47 knots | Slight structural damage occurs -roofing dislodged; larger branches break off. | High waves; dense streaks of foam; crests of waves begin to topple, tumble and roll over; spray may affect visibility. |
| 10 | Storm | 88 - 102 km/h | 48-55 knots | Seldom experienced inland; trees uprooted; considerable structural damage. | Very high waves with long overhanging crests; the resulting foam in great patches is blown in dense white streaks; the surface of the sea takes on a white appearance; the tumbling of the sea becomes heavy with visibility affected. |
| 11 | Violent storm | 103 -117 km/h | 56-63 knots | Very rarely experienced - widespread damage | Exceptionally high waves; small and medium sized ships occasionally lost from view behind waves; the sea is completely covered with long white patches of foam; the edges of wave crests are blown into froth. |
| 12+ | Hurricane | 118 km/h or more | 64 knots or more | The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea completely white with driving spray; visibility very seriously affected |