Small wavelets, still short but more pronounced. Crests look glassy and do not break.
Wind is felt on the face. Leaves rustle and wind vanes begin to move.
Force 2, Light breeze, is a wind of 4–6 kn, which builds 0.2 m waves in the open sea.
| Force | Description | Wind | Waves | Sea state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Calm | < 1 kn | 0.0 m waves | Sea like a mirror. |
| 1 | Light air | 1–3 kn | 0.1 m waves | Ripples with the appearance of scales, but without foam crests. |
| 2 | Light breeze | 4–6 kn | 0.2 m waves | Small wavelets, still short but more pronounced. Crests look glassy and do not break. |
| 3 | Gentle breeze | 7–10 kn | 0.6 m waves | Large wavelets. Crests begin to break, with scattered white horses. |
| 4 | Moderate breeze | 11–16 kn | 1.0 m waves | Small waves becoming longer, with fairly frequent white horses. |
| 5 | Fresh breeze | 17–21 kn | 2.0 m waves | Moderate waves taking a longer form. Many white horses, and some spray. |
| 6 | Strong breeze | 22–27 kn | 3.0 m waves | Large waves begin to form. White foam crests are extensive everywhere, with some spray. |
| 7 | Near gale | 28–33 kn | 4.0 m waves | The sea heaps up, and white foam from breaking waves blows in streaks along the wind. |
| 8 | Gale | 34–40 kn | 5.5 m waves | Moderately high waves of greater length. Crest edges break into spindrift, and foam blows in well-marked streaks. |
| 9 | Strong gale | 41–47 kn | 7.0 m waves | High waves with dense streaks of foam. Crests topple, tumble and roll over, and spray can reduce visibility. |
| 10 | Storm | 48–55 kn | 9.0 m waves | Very high waves with long overhanging crests. The sea surface looks white, and visibility is affected. |
| 11 | Violent storm | 56–63 kn | 11.5 m waves | Exceptionally high waves. The sea is completely covered in long white patches of foam, and visibility is reduced. |
| 12 | Hurricane force | 64+ kn | 14.0 m waves | The air is filled with foam and spray. The sea is completely white with driving spray, and visibility is very seriously affected. |