Gale

Strong wind

This article is about strong winds. For other uses, see Gale (disambiguation).

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (May 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

After a Gale - Wreckers by James Hamilton Gale warning flag Part of a series on

Weather

Temperate and polar seasons

* Winter
* Spring
* Summer
* Autumn

Tropical seasons

* Dry season
* Harmattan
* Wet season

Storms

* Cloud
* Cumulonimbus cloud
* Arcus cloud
* Downburst
* Microburst
* Heat burst
* Derecho
* Lightning
* Volcanic lightning
* Thunderstorm
* Air-mass thunderstorm
* Thundersnow
* Dry thunderstorm
* Mesocyclone
* Supercell
* Tornado
* Anticyclonic tornado
* Landspout
* Waterspout
* Dust devil
* Fire whirl
* Anticyclone
* Cyclone
* Polar low
* Extratropical cyclone
* European windstorm
* Nor'easter
* Subtropical cyclone
* Tropical cyclone
* Atlantic hurricane
* Typhoon
* Storm surge
* Dust storm
* Simoom
* Haboob
* Monsoon
* Amihan
* Gale
* Sirocco
* Firestorm
* Winter storm
* Ice storm
* Blizzard
* Ground blizzard
* Snow squall

Precipitation

* Drizzle
* Freezing
* Graupel
* Hail
* Megacryometeor
* Ice pellets
* Diamond dust
* Rain
* Freezing
* Cloudburst
* Snow
* Rain and snow mixed
* Snow grains
* Snow roller
* Slush

Topics

* Air pollution
* Atmosphere

*     * Chemistry
* Convection
* Physics
* River
* Climate
* Cloud
* Physics
* Fog
* Mist
* Season
* Cold wave
* Heat wave
* Jet stream
* Meteorology
* Severe weather
* List
* Extreme
* Severe weather terminology
* Canada
* Japan
* United States
* Weather forecasting
* Weather modification

Glossaries

* Meteorology
* Climate change
* Tornado terms
* Tropical cyclone terms

Weather portal

* v
* t
* e

A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface wind moving at a speed between 34 and 47 knots (63.0 and 87.0 km/h; 17.5 and 24.2 m/s; 39.1 and 54.1 mph).[1] Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are expected. In the United States, a gale warning is specifically a maritime warning; the land-based equivalent in National Weather Service warning products is a wind advisory.

Other sources use minima as low as 28 knots (52 km/h; 14 m/s; 32 mph), and maxima as high as 90 knots (170 km/h; 46 m/s; 100 mph). Through 1986, the National Hurricane Center used the term “gale” to refer to winds of tropical force[clarify] for coastal areas between 33 knots (61 km/h; 17 m/s; 38 mph) and 63 knots (117 km/h; 32 m/s; 72 mph). The 90 knots (170 km/h; 46 m/s; 100 mph) definition is very non-standard. A common alternative definition of the maximum is 55 knots (102 km/h; 63 mph; 28 m/s).[2]

The most common way of describing wind force is with the Beaufort scale[3] that defines a gale as wind from 50 kilometres per hour (14 m/s) to 102 kilometres per hour (28 m/s). It is an empirical measure for describing wind speed based mainly on observed sea conditions. On the original 1810 Beaufort wind force scale, there were four "gale" designations whereas generally today there are two gale forces, 8 and 9, and a near gale 7:

Wind force | Original name | Current name | km/h | m/s | mph | knots | Mean knots | Sea state

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

7 | Moderate gale | Near gale | 50–61 | 14–17 | 32–38 | 28–33 | 30 | Rough
8 | Fresh gale | Gale | 62–74 | 17–20 | 39–46 | 34–40 | 37 | Very Rough
9 | Strong gale | Severe Gale/ Strong Gale (UK) | 75–88 | 21–24 | 47–54 | 41–47 | 44 | High
10 | Whole gale | Storm | 89–102 | 25–28 | 55–63 | 48–55 | 52 | Very High

## Etymology

[edit]

The word gale is derived from the Middle English gale, a general word for wind of any strength, even a breeze. This word is probably of North Germanic origin, related to Icelandic gola (breeze) and Danish gal (furious, mad),[4] which are both from Old Norse gala (to sing), from Proto-Germanic *galaną (to roop, sing, charm), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel\- (to shout, scream, charm away).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ National Weather Service Glossary Archived 2020-05-11 at the Wayback Machine, s.v. "gale" Archived 2021-08-31 at the Wayback Machine.
2. ^ "Glossary of Meteorological Terms". NovaLynx Corporation. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11.
3. ^ "Beaufort wind force scale". Met Officewebsite.
4. ^ Etymology of gale

* v
* t
* e

Severe weather terminology in the United States

Severe
storms|

| Thunderstorm|

* Advisory
* Watch
* PDS watch
* Warning

|

Tornado|

* Watch
* PDS watch
* Warning
* PDS warning
* Emergency

Marine thunderstorm|

* Special marine warning

Winter
weather|

| Advisories|

* Winter weather advisory

|

Winter storm|

* Watch
* Warning

Blizzard/blowing snow|

* Blowing snow advisory
* Blizzard watch
* Blizzard warning

Heavy snow|

* Warning

Lake-effect snow|

* Advisory
* Watch
* Warning

Snow squall|

* Warning

Ice|

* Freezing rain advisory
* Ice storm warning

Avalanche|

* Warning
* Watch
* Advisory

Tropical
cyclones|

| Tropical storms|

* Watch
* Warning

|

Hurricanes|

* Watch
* Warning

Typhoons|

* Watch
* Warning

Cyclones|

* Watch
* Warning

Storm surge|

* Watch
* Warning

* Hurricane local statement
* Tropical storm local statement
* Tropical depression local statement

Flood|

| Flood|

* Watch
* Warning
* Advisory

|

Flash flood|

* Watch
* PDS watch
* Warning
* Emergency

Coastal flood|

* Advisory
* Watch
* Warning
* Statement

Lakeshore flood|

* Warning
* Advisory
* Watch
* Statement

River flood|

* Advisory
* Watch
* Warning

Urban and small stream flood|

* Advisory

Apparent
temperature|

| Heat index|

* Heat advisory
* Excessive heat watch
* Excessive heat warning

|

Wind chill|

* Cold Weather Advisory
* Extreme Cold Watch
* Extreme Cold Warning
* PDS warning

Extreme cold|

* Warning

Freeze|

* Watch
* Warning
* Hard freeze warning
* Frost advisory
* Hard freeze watch

Maritime
and
coastal
weather|

| Marine winds|

* Small craft advisory
* Brisk wind advisory
* Lake wind advisory

|

Gale|

* Watch
* Warning

Storm|

* Watch
* Warning

Hurricane-force wind|

* Warning
* Watch

Hazardous seas|

* Watch
* Warning

Freezing spray|

* Freezing spray advisory
* Heavy freezing spray watch
* Heavy freezing spray warning

* Marine weather statement
* Rip current statement
* Beach hazards statement

High surf|

* High surf advisory
* High surf warning
* High surf watch

Wind|

| Advisory-force winds|

* Wind advisory

|

Gale-force winds|

* High wind watch
* High wind warning

Major hurricane-force winds|

* Extreme wind warning

Airborne
particulates|

| Dust/sand|

* Blowing dust advisory
* Blowing dust warning
* Dust advisory
* Dust storm warning

|

Fog/Smoke|

* Dense fog advisory
* Dense smoke advisory

Ash|

* Ashfall advisory
* Ashfall warning

Air pollution|

* Air stagnation advisory
* Air quality alert

Fire|

* Red flag warning
* Fire warning
* Evacuation immediate
* Fire weather watch

Aviation|

* SIGMET
* Volcanic ash advisory

Weather scales
used by NWS|

* Beaufort (wind)
* Enhanced Fujita (tornadoes)
* Saffir–Simpson scale (tropical cyclones)

Other|

* Special weather statement
* Severe weather statement
* Hazardous weather outlook

Tsunami|

* Watch
* Warning
* Advisory

Authority control databases: National |

* Germany
* Czech Republic

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template