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BEAUFORT SCALE: Specifications and equivalent speeds for use on land
One of the first scales to estimate wind speeds and it"s effect was created by Britain's Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857). He developed the scale in 1805 to help sailors estimate the winds via visual observations. The scale starts with 0 and goes to a force of 12. The Beaufort scale is still in use today to estimate wind strengths.

Force	Equivalent Speed		Description	Visible Signs On Land
	10 m above ground
	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	Whole trees 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	--

Useful information

BEAUFORT SCALE: Specifications and equivalent speeds for use on land