In message .com,
Richard Dixon writes
I notice the current system in the North Sea must be whipping up the
waves. Gullfax is reporting hurricane-force sustained winds (76mph).

Gullfax Platform (10 m, Norway) 92 mph
Oseberg (15 m, Norway) 81 mph

As an aside, does the Beaufort scale refer to 1-min or 10-min sustained
winds? I'm assuming 1-minute sustained seeing as the hurricane force
category (73 or 74mph+ depending on where you read it) would then be in
keeping with the US definitions of when a tropical storm becomes a
hurricane.

Richard

The Scale was originally based on the appearance of the sea rather than
on actual wind speeds. Because the seastate responds relatively slowly
to changes in wind speed the Beaufort forces at sea are generally
assumed to be 1-hour means. Therefore, in a Force 8, for example, there
may be spells of a few minutes with the mean speed as high as 45 knots
or more or as low as 30 knots or lower even though the 1-hour mean
remains within the 34-40 knot Force 8 range..

In the above case it would be appropriate to describe the wind as Force
8 with squalls to 45 knots and peak gusts above 50 knots.

Definitions on land are somewhat different. A gale is deemed to have
occurred on land if the mean speed is 34 knots or more for a period of
at least 10 minutes (at least I think that is the current UKMO
definition - others may know better)

Norman
(delete "thisbit" twice to e-mail)
--
Norman Lynagh Weather Consultancy
Chalfont St Giles 85m a.s.l.
England