Beaufort scale

Fanned by gale-force winds reaching up to eight on the Beaufort scale, the flames have spread rapidly southward, threatening homes, tourist accommodation, and critical infrastructure, including a fuel station.

On its website, it said its general view was "that damage can occur even when the wind speed is lower than level 10 on the Beaufort scale", which starts at 48 knots, or 55mph.

That night, the winds were up to 10 on the Beaufort scale, so it was very choppy.

The reasons for the sinking were unclear: Winds on Saturday were a moderate 5 on the open-ended Beaufort scale.

Even the Beaufort scale, which measures wind speed, categorises it specifically in relation to its impact on objects.