Beaufort Scale

ESTIMATION OF WIND SPEED

Scale Conditions on Land Wind Speed

Smoke rises straight up. 1 km/h or less

Calm 1 knot or less

1 Smoke drift indicates wind 1 – 5 km/h

Light Air direction. Wind vanes do not move. 1 – 3 knots

2 Wind felt on face. Leaves rustle. 6 – 11 km/h

Light Breeze Wind vanes begin to move. 4 – 6 knots

3 Light flags extended. Leaves and 12 – 19 km/h

Gentle Breeze small twigs in constant motion. 7 – 10 knots

4 Dust, leaves and loose papers 20 – 29 km/h

Moderate raised up. Small branches move. 11 – 16 knots
Breeze

5 Crested wavelets form on inland 30 – 39 km/h

Fresh Breeze waters. Small trees begin to sway. 17 – 21 knots

Umbrellas are difficult to control. 40 – 50 km/h

6 Whistling heard in telegraph wires.
Strong Breeze Large branches move. 22 – 27 knots

Inconvenience felt when walking

7 against the wind. Whole trees in
51 – 61 km/h
Near Gale motion.
28 – 33 knots

Difficult to walk against wind.

8 Twigs and small branches blown
62 – 74 km/h
Gale off trees. 34 – 40 knots

9 Slight structural damage may 75 – 87 km/h

Strong Gale occur (slates blown off roofs). 41 – 47 knots

10 Structural damages likely. 88 – 101 km/h

Trees uprooted. 48 – 55 knots
Storm

11 102 – 117 km/h

Widespread damage to structures.
Violent Storm 56 – 63 knots

12 Severe structural damage to 118 km/h or more

buildings. Widespread devastation. 64 knots or more
Hurricane

This poster was originally developed and printed by the Department of Meteorology with the support of JICA under "The Project for
Improving of Meteorological Observation, Weather Forecasting and Dissemination in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka”.
This reproduction and reprint was undertaken by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), supported by the
Sri Lanka Preparedness Partnership (SLPP)

Sri Lanka Preparedness Partnership

Department of Meteorology