Beaufort is a unit used to measure wind speed. It was named after Sir Francis Beaufort, an Irish admiral who developed this scale in 1805 as a way to describe the effects of different levels of wind on sails and riggings aboard ships. The scale ranges from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane force), with each level marked by specific observable conditions such as ripples on water, flapping of clothes, or broken branches. It is commonly used in weather forecasts and reports to provide an accurate description of wind speed and its potential impacts.