Rob, you have answered your own question. People (should) follow the
official definition, otherwise nobody knows what they are talking about. And
you are correct, gusts do not count. It is just the 10 minute mean speed of
Beaufort force 8, 34-40 knots at 10 metres above the ground that qualifies
as a gale.

--
Bernard Burton
Wokingham, Berkshire, UK.

Satellite images at:
www.btinternet.com/~wokingham.weather/wwp.html
"Rob Brooks" wrote in message
...
From many years of recording weather data I have always struggled to
identify, statistically that is "days of gale" or "near gale etc etc.
Obviously the definition of a gale is mean wind speeds over a 10 minute
period reaching 34kt or equivalent. Gust speeds satistically do not count
in
the "official" recognition of a gale.

How do people on this newsgroup show days of gale force winds.

It is very easy to achieve gusts to 43kt which again is classified as gale
force winds, but would this qualify officially - I think not.