American looking for translation

[jyasaki]

Can someone explain the wind "Forces" to me?

We always use either knots or MPH here in the States.

TIA;

jky

[gingercoastie]

If you follow this link it should help explain it for you


http://www.zetnet.co.uk/sigs/weather...s/beaufort.htm

[ashbypower]

Hi,
Look here http://www.mountwashington.org/disco.../beaufort.html
For a nice explanation.

Regards

Brian

[Pookay]

BEAUFORT SCALE: Specifications and equivalent speeds for use at sea
FORCE EQUIVALENT SPEED DESCRIPTION SPECIFICATIONS FOR USE AT SEA
10 m above ground

0..........0-1mph..........0-1kts.....Calm Sea like a mirror


1..........1-3mph..........1-3kts.....Light air Ripples with the appearance of
scales are formed, but without
foam crests.


2..........4-7mph..........4-6kts.....Light Breeze Small wavelets, still short,
but more pronounced. Crests
have a glassy appearance and
do not break.


3..........8-12mph..........7-10kts.....Gentle Breeze Large wavelets. Crests begin
to break. Foam of glassy
appearance. Perhaps scattered
white horses.


4..........13-18mph..........11-16kts.....Moderate Breeze Small waves, becoming larger;
fairly frequent white horses.


5..........19-24mph..........17-21kts.....Fresh Breeze Moderate waves, taking a more
pronounced long form; many
white horses are formed.
Chance of some spray.


6..........25-31mph..........22-27kts.....Strong Breeze Large waves begin to form; the
white foam crests are more
extensive everywhere.
Probably some spray.


7..........32-38mph..........28-33kts.....Near Gale Sea heaps up and white foam
from breaking waves begins to
be blown in streaks along the
direction of the wind.


8..........39-46mph..........34-40kts.....Gale Moderately high waves of greater
length; edges of crests begin to
breakinto spindrift. The foam is
blown in well-marked streaks
along the direction of the wind.


9..........47-54mph..........41-47kts.....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..........55-63mph..........48-55kts.....Storm 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..........64-72mph..........56-63kts.....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..........73-83mph..........64-71kts.....Hurricane The air is filled with foam and
spray. Sea completely white with
driving spray; visibility very
seriously affected.

[codprawn]

Force Speed
(10 m above ground) Description Specifications for use on land
Miles per hour knots
0 0-1 0-1 Calm Sea like a mirror
1 1-3 1-3 Light air Ripple with the appearance of scales are formed, but without foam crests.
2 4-7 4-6 Light Breeze Small wavelets, still short, but more pronounced. Crests have a glassy appearance and do not break.
3 8-12 7-10 Gentle Breeze Large wavelets. Crests begin to break. Foam of glassy appearance. Perhaps scattered white horses.
4 13-18 11-16 Moderate Breeze Small waves, becoming larger; fairly frequent white horses.
5 19-24 17-21 Fresh Breeze Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed. Chance of some spray.
6 25-31 22-27 Strong Breeze Large waves begin to form; the white foam crests are more extensive everywhere. Probably some spray.
7 32-38 28-33 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 Gale Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into spindrift. The foam is blown in well-marked streaks along the direction of the wind.
9 47-54 41-47 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 Storm Very high waves with long overhanging 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 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 Hurricane The air is filled with foam and spray. Sea completely white with driving spray; visibility very seriously affected.


The Beaufort Scale: Land based specification
Force Speed
(10 m above ground) Description Specifications for use on land
miles/hour knots
0 0-1 0-1 Calm Calm; smoke rises vertically.
1 1-3 1-3 Light air Direction of wind shown by smoke drift, but not by wind vanes.
2 4-7 4-6 Light Breeze Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary vanes moved by wind.
3 8-12 7-10 Gentle Breeze Leaves and small twigs in constant motion; wind extends light flag.
4 13-18 11-16 Moderate Breeze Raises dust and loose paper; small branches are moved.
5 19-24 17-21 Fresh Breeze Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on inland waters.
6 25-31 22-27 Strong Breeze Large branches in motion; whistling heard in telegraph wires; umbrellas used with difficulty.
7 32-38 28-33 Near Gale Wholetrees in motion; inconvenience felt when walking against the wind.
8 39-46 34-40 Gale Breaks twigs off trees; generally impedes progress.
9 47-54 41-47 Severe Gale Slight structural damage occurs (chimney-pots and slates removed).
10 55-63 48-55 Storm Seldom experienced inland; trees uprooted; considerable structural damage occurs.
11 64-72 56-63 Violent Storm Very rarely experienced; accompanied by wide-spread damage.
12 73-83 64-71 Hurricane --
Beaufort Scale: UK Met. Office

[codprawn]

Bloody hell JK this site must be slow today!!! Nothing there one minute - then all this appears!!!

[Pookay]

I think we all a bit full of wind ourselves...

[gavin]

With other measurments in the US, I know you use gallons, feet inches etc, is it likely to go metric, or do you find both systems in place

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by gavin

With other measurments in the US, I know you use gallons, feet inches etc, is it likely to go metric, or do you find both systems in place

There is about as much chance of that as the Yanks joining the EU - long may it continue!!!

[jyasaki]

Sorry about no acknowledgement; lost track of this thread.

Thanks to all who replied, it is appreciated.

Gavin; No, not much chance of the US going metric. Inches, feet, yards, and miles, not to mention US gallons, pounds, and 2000 pound tons are pretty much here to stay. Not much in the way of metric signage or anything, but most consumer products are marked (in very small print) in metric.

Fourth of July today; Hope you have a good one, even if you don't celebrate it.


jky

[Jono]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

...
Fourth of July today; Hope you have a good one, even if you don't celebrate it.


jky

Oh, believe me! Some of us DO celebrate it.....