About

Velocity on water and in the air is measured in Knots (kt), a unit derived from one nautical mile per hour. However, terrestrial weather reports and land-based vehicle specifications use Kilometers per hour (km/h). This tool provides bidirectional conversion for these units, crucial for interpreting weather forecasts or calibrating instruments. Unlike standard calculators, this tool integrates the Beaufort Wind Scale context. Wind force does not scale linearly; a doubling of speed quadruples the force. Identifying whether 30 knots represents a "Strong Breeze" or a "Gale" is vital for safety decision-making in marine environments.

Formulas

One knot is exactly one nautical mile per hour.

v_km/h = v_kt × 1.852

Beaufort scale classification is an empirical step function based on the speed range v.

Reference Data

Force	Description	Speed (knots)	Speed (km/h)	Sea Conditions
0	Calm	0 - 1	0 - 1	Mirror-like
1 - 3	Light Breeze	1 - 10	2 - 19	Small wavelets
4	Moderate Breeze	11 - 16	20 - 28	Small waves, whitecaps
6	Strong Breeze	22 - 27	41 - 50	Large waves, spray
8	Gale	34 - 40	62 - 74	High waves, foam streaks
10	Storm	48 - 55	89 - 102	Very high waves
12	Hurricane	≥ 64	≥ 119	Sea completely white

Frequently Asked Questions

Knots are used because they relate directly to degrees of latitude on a navigational chart. Traveling at 60 knots means you are covering 1 degree of latitude per hour.

Yes. While originally designed for sea conditions (sails and waves), it has land-based descriptors (e.g., "Force 8: Twigs break off trees, cars veer on road").