General Guidelines for Estimating Wind Speeds
Source: National Weather Service Portland, Oregon
Calm
Bft 0
Calm wind. Smoke rises vertically with little if any drift.
1-3 mph
1-5 km/h
Bft 1
Direction of wind shown by smoke drift, not by wind vanes. Little if any movement with flags. Wind barely moves tree leaves.
4-7 mph
6-11 km/h
Bft 2
Wind felt on face. Leaves rustle and small twigs move. Ordinary wind vanes move.
8-12 mph
12-20 km/h
Bft 3
Leaves and small twigs in constant motion. Wind blows up dry leaves from the ground. Flags are extended out.
13-18 mph
21-29 km/h
Bft 4
Wind moves small branches. Wind raises dust and loose paper from the ground and drives them along.
19-24 mph
30-39 km/h
Bft 5
Large branches and small trees in leaf begin to sway. Crested wavelets form on inland lakes and large rivers.
25-31 mph
40-50 km/h
Bft 6
Large brances in continous motion. Whistling sounds heard in overhead or nearby power and telephone lines. Umbrellas used with difficulty.
32-38 mph
51-61 km/h
Bft 7
Whole trees in motion. Inconvenience walking against the wind.
39-46 mph
62-74 km/h
Bft 8
Wind breaks twigs and small branches. Wind generally impedes walking.
47-54 mph
75-87 km/h
Bft 9
Structural damage occurs, such as chimney covers, roofing tiles blown off, and television antennas damaged. Ground is littered with many small twigs and broken branches.
55-63 mph
88-101 km/h
Bft 10
Considerable structural damage occurs, especially on roofs. Small trees may be blown over and uprooted.
64-75 mph
102-120 km/h
Bft 11
Widespread damage occurs. Larger trees blown over and uprooted.
75+ mph
>120 km/h
Bft 12
Severe and extensive damage. Roofs can be peeled off. Windows broken. Trees uprooted. RVs and small mobile homes overturned. Moving automobiles can be pushed off the roadways.
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Moist Obscuration Dry Obscuration Liquid Precipitaiton Frozen Precipitaiton Intense Phenomena
FOG HAZE RAIN (RA)   SNOW (SN)   THUNDERSTORM (TS)
MIST DUST   RAIN SHOWER   BLOWING SNOW TS IN VICINITY
FREEZING FOG SMOKE FREEZING RAIN ICE PELLETS HAIL
SHALLOW FOG ASH MIXED PRECIPITATION ICE CRYSTALS SAND or DUSTSTORM
DRIZZLE SNOW GRAINS FUNNEL CLOUD /
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15. Temperature   °C               16. Humidity: %          17. Dew Point °C
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