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What is the Beaufort Scale? ------------- >>> (Math Clock 2)
        
The Beaufort wind force scale, or simply Beaufort scale, was devised at the beginning of the 19th century (around 1805) to provide a standard measure of wind speeds for sailors. It was subsequently extended for land use about a century later, in 1906, by George Simpson. The Beaufort scale is one wind scale among many that had been developed at the time, but after it became the mandatory standard for measuring wind speeds in the Royal Navy in 1838, the scale continued to stick, as it does to this day.
The Beaufort scale has 12 degrees, ranging from calm air to hurricane-force winds. In 1969 stages 13-17 were added for special cases such as especially strong tempests and hurricanes, although this scale is usually separately called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale.
Starting from 0 corresponding to calm, the Beaufort scale ascends to light air at 1, light breeze at 2, gentle breeze at 3, moderate breeze at 4, fresh breeze at 5, strong breeze at 6, near gale at 7, gale at 8, strong gale at 9, storm at 10, violent storm at 11, and hurricane at 12.

From : http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-beaufort-scale.htm