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A salutary reminder that the power of decimalisation should not be underestimated emerges from the Beaufort Wind Scale. The original scale is of twelve points:
| Force | Wind speed (knots) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 - 1 | Calm |
| 1 | 2 - 3 | Light air |
| 2 | 4 - 6 | Light breeze |
| 3 | 7 - 10 | Gentle breeze |
| 4 | 11 - 14 | Moderate wind |
| 5 | 15 - 18 | Fresh wind |
| 6 | 19 - 24 | Strong wind |
| 7 | 25 - 30 | High wind |
| 8 | 31 - 36 | Fresh gale |
| 9 | 37 - 42 | Strong gale |
| 10 | 43 - 48 | Severe gale |
| 11 | 49 - 56 | Storm |
| 12 | 57+ | Hurricane |
I am told that the decimalised scale has only ten points, having deleted 'High wind' and 'Hurricane". Sailors, and indeed all of us, must be grateful that the decimalists have abolished hurricanes; it must be a little unnerving, however, to jump straight from a strong wind to a gale!
Don Hammond, Dozenal Journal No.4, Spring 1986