A gale warning is a warning issued by weather services in maritime locations about the existence of winds of gale force or above or the imminent occurrence of gales at sea. The purpose of gale warnings is to allow mariners to take precautionary actions to ensure their safety at sea.
In the United States, the National Weather Service issues Gale warnings for marine areas experiencing, or about to experience, winds within the range of 39 to 54 miles per hour or 63 to 69 km-h ( approximately 34 to 47 knots).[1] A High Wind Warning is a similar warning issued by the National Weather Service if winds are forecast to be 39-57 mph for at least 1 hour; or any gusts to 58-73 mph on land. If the winds are associated with a tropical cyclone, a Tropical Storm Warning will be substituted for the Gale Warning and more severe Storm Warning. The same flag as a storm warning is used for a Tropical Storm Warning.
In the UK gale warnings are issued by the Meteorological Office and are broadcast by radio four times a day at fixed times on 198 kHz in the shipping forecast, part of the broadcast output of BBC Radio 4. If there is to be a considerable time before the next Shipping Forecast, an extra gale warning is issued and read out between programmes. Warnings are issued for sea areas surrounding the UK for all predictions of winds of Beaufort Force 8 or above, the forecasts extending as far north as Iceland and as far south as southern Spain.
Met Éireann, the Irish meteorological office, issue warnings for sea areas around Ireland, with stretchs of coast defined by the headlands of Ireland (e.g. Fair Head, Malin Head, Mizen Head, Carnsore Point), and an area forecast for the Irish Sea.
Though usually associated with deep low pressure centers, winds strong enough to catalyze a gale warning can occur in other conditions as well, including from anticyclones, or high-pressure systems, in the continental interior. However the warning is most commonly issued in coastal areas, and is primarily directed at marine rather than land-based interests — and the term High Wind Warning (SAME code: HWW) is substituted for "gale warning" (and the more severe "storm warning") in non-maritime settings in the United States for winds between 39 and 71 mph. In some cases, a dust storm can be produced by high winds with little or no warning.
The flags for a gale warning are two red pennants, one placed above the other (display of only one such flag denotes a small craft advisory).
A similar warning is issued by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada for lakes and oceans within Canada's juridiction.
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The following is an example of a Gale Warning issued by the National Weather Service office in Miami, Florida.[2]
399 WHUS72 KMFL 120829 MWWMFL URGENT - MARINE WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 329 AM EST FRI FEB 12 2010 ...GALE FORCE WIND GUSTS TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT... AMZ610-630-650-651-670-671-GMZ656-657-676-131200- /O.UPG.KMFL.GL.A.0001.100212T1500Z-100213T0900Z/ /O.NEW.KMFL.GL.W.0001.100212T1800Z-100213T1200Z/ LAKE OKEECHOBEE-BISCAYNE BAY- COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO THE TERRITORIAL WATERS OF THE BAHAMAS- COASTAL WATERS FROM CHOKOLOSKEE TO BONITA BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM EAST CAPE SABLE TO CHOKOLOSKEE, FL OUT 20 NM- GULF WATERS FROM CHOKOLOSKEE TO BONITA BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 329 AM EST FRI FEB 12 2010 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM EST SATURDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIAMI HAS ISSUED A GALE WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM EST SATURDAY. THE GALE WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL PASS NORTH OF THE REGION THIS EVENING. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP QUICKLY TODAY AHEAD OF THE LOW...WITH STRONG WESTERLY WINDS BEHIND THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PASSING DURING THE EVENING HOURS. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 30 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO NEAR 40 KNOTS EVEN OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THESE WINDS WILL LEAD TO EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MARINE CONDITIONS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A GALE WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. OPERATING A VESSEL IN GALE CONDITIONS REQUIRES EXPERIENCE AND PROPERLY EQUIPPED VESSELS. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT MARINERS WITHOUT THE PROPER EXPERIENCE SEEK SAFE HARBOR PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF GALE CONDITIONS. && $$
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