What is the Beaufort scale?
The Beaufort scale is a 0–12 system for describing wind speed by what you can see and feel, from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane). Kite flying is best around Beaufort 3–5.
WindWhat each force looks like
| Force | Speed | What you see | Kite verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | under 4 mph | Smoke rises straight up | No lift |
| 2 | 4–7 mph | Leaves rustle, flags stir | Only light kites |
| 3 | 8–12 mph | Leaves and twigs move | Good for most kites |
| 4 | 13–18 mph | Dust and paper blow, small branches move | Sweet spot |
| 5 | 19–24 mph | Small trees sway, waves have crests | Strong, experienced flyers |
| 6+ | 25+ mph | Umbrellas hard to use, branches break | Too much |
The weather station figures are per the standard Beaufort definitions; the kite verdict is ours, from the same 8–25 mph rule that powers the kite score.
Rather than eyeball it, check the live kite score for your location — it reads the actual wind, not the leaves.
Related terms
Wind speedWind speed is how fast the air is moving, usually measured in mph, km/h or knots. For kite flying, 8–25 mph is the ideal range.KnotsA knot is a nautical unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (1.15 mph). Coastal and kitesurfing wind forecasts often use knots.Good kite dayA good kite day means wind between 8–25 mph, gusts under 31 mph and less than 2 mm of rain. We count these from 3 years of weather data for 536 cities.