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Learn English > English lessons and exercises > English test #89325: Marine weathern bulletinMarine weathern bulletin Shipping forecast
Like a puzzle: The forecast is split up into 31 areas which stretch all the way from Iceland and Norway to the coasts of Portugal and Spain.
Shipping forecast on Friday 16th december 2011 (Storm Joachim)
During this storm, in Brittany on the north-western coast of France, the cargo ship TK Bremen ran aground 100 meters from the Erdeven beach, plage de Kerminhy, between Lorient and the Quiberon peninsula. The nineteen-man crew was evacuated by helicopter.
VIDEO Source BBC Radio 4
Sea state (wave height 9 levels ) Beaufort Scales (Wind Speed 12 levels )
Code number Wave height Speed
(knots)
Speed (km/h) Beaufort Scale Effects observed on the sea 0 0
< 1
< 1
Calm Sea is like a mirror 1 0 - 0,1
1 à 3
1 à 5
Light air Ripples with appearance of scales; no foam crests 2 0,1 - 0,5
4 à 6
6 à 11
Light breeze Small wavelets; crests of glassy appearance, not breaking 3 0,5 - 1,25
7 à 10
12 à 19
Gentle breeze Large wavelets; crests begin to break; scattered whitecaps 4 1,25 - 2,5
11 à 16
20 à 28
Moderate breeze Small waves, becoming longer; numerous whitecaps 5 2,5 - 4
17 à 21
29 à 38
Fresh breeze Moderate waves, taking longer form; many whitecaps; some spray 6 4 - 6
22 à 27
39 à 49
Strong breeze Larger waves forming; whitecaps everywhere; more spray 7 6 - 9
28 à 33
50 à 61
Near gale Sea heaps up; white foam from breaking waves begins to be blown in streaks 8 9 - 14
34 à 40
50 à 61
Gale Moderately high waves of greater length; edges of crests begin to break into spindrift; foam is blown in well-marked streaks 9 14 et plus
41 à 47
75 à 88
Strong gale High waves; sea begins to roll; dense streaks of foam; spray may begin to reduce visibility 10 48 à 55
89 à 102
Storm Very high waves with overhanging crests; sea takes white appearance as foamis blown in very dense streaks; rolling is heavy and visibility isreduced 11 56 à 63
103 à 117
Violent storm Exceptionally high waves; sea covered with white foam patches; visibility further reduced 12 > 64
> 118
Hurricane Air filled with foam; sea completely white with driving spray; visibility greatly reduced
Force Characteristics Height (meters) 0 Calm (glassy) 0 1 Calm (rippled) 0 - 0,1 2 Smooth (wavelets) 0,1 - 0,5 3 Slight 0,5 - 1,25 4 Moderate 1,25 - 2,5 5 Rough 2,5 - 4 6 Very rough 4 - 6 7 High 6 - 9 8 Very high 9 - 14 9 Phenomenal 14 et plus
Weather forecast Warnings of gales Forecast General synopsis Rain Shower Increasing Decreasing Occasionally Weather forecast Gale warning Gale (34-40 knots) Severe gale (41-47 knots) Storm (48-55 knots) Violent storm (56-63 knots) Hurricane force (+64knots) Visibility Fog Poor Moderate Good Sea state Smooth Slight Moderate Rough Time scales Imminent Soon Later Wind Wind direction Becoming cyclonic Veering Backing Pressure tendency Falling Rising Rising quickly Now rising Movement of pressure systems Slowly Steadily Rather quickly Rapidly Very rapidly
Listen to the shipping forecast and find the missing words.
End of the free exercise to learn English: Marine weathern bulletin A free English exercise to learn English. Other English exercises on the same topic : The weather | All our lessons and exercises