Friday news

By tk
Friday, April 18, 2003

*11 state beaches badly eroded, agency reports
*Bikers, police say all quiet on the downtown front
-Charleston Post and Courier, 4-18-03

*Hilton Head driving tips
-Carolina Morning News, 4-18-03

*Marinas seek permit to dump spoil in pristine Calibogue Sound
-Coast News, 4-18-03

*Boat-race organizer grumbles about city support
*Major sea search in Atlantic turns out to be turtle
-Daytona News Journal, 4-18-03

*St. Joseph Bay Cleanup and Kayak Festival is Sat. May 10
-Port St Joe Star, 4-17-03

Dear Sir,

I would like to get some clarification on the Beaufort wind scale.

Measuring wind over water gives a World Meteorological Organization description and a Beaufort number (force). Is this the same for wind over LAND?

Does this rating consider a time scale. E.g. If a rating of force 8 (34-40 knots 39-46 mph 62-74 km/h Gale WMO) is announced what variation over time can be expected. >I assume wind gusts can not be anticipated but are limits to what can be expected within a time frame?

I noticed that wind speeds are expressed as 'current'. Is this official measurement of time.

What I'm trying to achieve is this:

- If I announce that a 'wind rating' is gale force, should I qualify this by saying it is limited to a time frame and that wind gust up to and including other wind ratings must be anticipated?

- If I say 'current wind rating', is that enough for me to be correct if a different wind rating is measured at a later time?

Are set variations built into a wind-rating announcement. If so what are they?

Are these and any other considerations taken into account when a rating is given?

I'd like to thankyou in advance for any consideration taken in reviewing and answering this email.

Regards,
Karl Brudell
>02 9909 8497

Dear Karl,

Thank you for your E-Mail.

If you look at the Beaufort Wind scale on Ahoy. Mac's Web log you will note the top table is for wind over land, and the second table is for wind at sea.

Essentially they are the same, but use different terms to assist the person
doing the measuring whether at sea or onshore.

I am not aware of any time frame, one estimates the force of the wind at a
time, and I would say the use of the term current indicates exactly that.

If the force changes a new estimate may be made.

At sea, the Officer of the Watch enters the wind force and direction in the
ship's log usually at the start of his watch eg at 0800, 1200, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2400 and 0400. and there is a column to enter this detail.

There is a much wider section for remarks, and if you are undertaking a
specific task and the wind force is changing, the OOW may enter the changing and increasing wind force here,eg, in HMAS Australia in Otober 1940 we were trying to rescue the crew from a downed Sunderland
aircraft in a North Atlantic gale, the wind speed changed, and this is noted in the remarks section.

In two E-Mails I am sending there are two descriptions of  the Beaufort
Scale and how it evolved, one shows a pictorial representation of a house in varying wind speeds, I trust they and the  above may be of help.

Best Regards,
Mackenzie Gregory.

They would be interested to be contacted by Veterans who might like to take
part in this project.

Their Address in Australia is: 86 Byng Street Orange New South Wales. 2800

E-Mail mullion@mullion.com.au

The phone number I have is 1800 636 111

My contact was Brett who did the phone interview, and Jo who lined up the two 4 hour appointments.

The Dutch Submarines have a memorial at Fremantle as those listed on the plaque were all operational during WW2, and worked out of Fremantle, I believe the Memorial was organised by Dutch ex service people now living in Australia.