What defines the Beaufort scale?

• A. Describes wind patterns
• B. Describes rainfall intensity
• C. Measures wind force based on observed conditions
• D. Measures air temperature changes

Answer: (C)

The Beaufort scale is a wind-force scale that classifies wind by the observed effects on the sea and on land. It doesn’t measure patterns, rainfall, or temperature. Instead, you judge wind strength from what you can see: how the sea surface behaves, whether there are whitecaps or spray, how flags and branches move, and other visible cues. Those observed effects are then mapped to a Beaufort number that describes wind force. This makes it the best choice because it directly ties wind intensity to what you actually observe, rather than describing patterns or other weather aspects.