On 14 Jan, 18:59, "Jack )"
wrote:
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

The term gale means a lot down here on the tip of Cornwall. A force 8
gale warning and boats think of returning to Newlyn, Force 9 severe
gale they stop thinking & do it. Just look at local sites like
www.sennen-cove.com/index.htm , which is produced brilliantly by the
coxswain of the Sennen lifeboat, and you will see the word gale used
appropriately. The beaufort sea descriptions are so useful, and are
instantly meaningful when you're by the sea.

Like Norman the I hate the phrase 'gusts to gale force', on exposed
coasts gusts to gale force occur a good proportion of the days in
winter, so is totally meaningless. It just means it's a bit windy.

I find the % risk maps essentially pretty c**p. Anyone who lives right
on the sea front knows the wind is normally dramatically less a mile
or less inland, and so is the risk of damage. Yesterdays depression
gave gales on the sea front, strong enough to remove tiles and it was
virtually impossible to stand out at Praa Sands. But at my site, just
800m from the sea, the strongest gust was only 43mph, and it never
really got above Force 6.

Graham
Penzance