Raise your hand if you've heard of it. Very good.
I hadn't. I think it might have been a subconscious strategy for coping with the strong winds we had yesterday. Looking at my local webpage for weather I noticed that as the wind increased different names for it would appear by the speed. I've heard of a zephyr. I used to think I knew the difference between a breeze and real wind. Ha! That's all changed.
Further investigation introduced me to Captain Beaufort. Sea captain around 1806 who devised a scale based on sea conditions so that all sea captains could be consistent when they recorded the weather each day. Wind can also be categorized by physical effects on vegetation and structures.
A "1" on the scale is called Light Air (4-7mph). Smoke will indicate the direction of the wind and wind vanes are still. If it is a 3 - Gentle Breeze - light flags will be extended. 6 - Strong breeze - whistling heard in overhead wires, umbrella use becomes difficult, empty garbage cans tip over. 8 - Fresh Gale - progress on foot seriously impeded. All the way up to 12 - Hurricane - widespread damage to vegetation, windows breaking. I like the practicality of the descriptions.
I thought that was interesting...should I inflict this on my students??? Have them come up with their own scale for wind or sunny days or something....???
Today (at the moment) seems to be a 2 - Light breeze - 4-7mph - wind felt on exposed skin....but I'll keep you posted. Just kidding.
Just found your blog from Anne (Homeschool on the Croft) and have been reading through all your adventures of coming to Lewis etc. Enjoyed it all very much, and love hearing and seeing more about Scottland...and Lewis, and how thinks work in your home and lovely, little community.
ReplyDeleteI say yes, let the children get in on coming up with a weather scale.
Many Blessings,
Pam
The children would probably come up with a scale that was marked something like this:
ReplyDeleteLight breeze - the mainland
Stronger breeze - Stornoway
Gales - Ness.... permenantly !!
I agree. Fascinating. Althought I don't want to live where those sort of categories are common knowledge.
ReplyDelete