I agree Norman. As an ex-aviator, I never bothered with terms like
gales, strong winds, etc. It was NUMBERS (30, 45 knots, etc). Do
mariners do the same? Indeed, I have little idea nor need to know how
a gale is defined in terms of actual speeds.

Martin. You used to do the shipping forecasts. Was it the user or
the supplier that wanted the terms gale, etc?

Jack