Kurz gesagt: Weather services issue wind warnings from wind strength 6 and storm warnings from wind strength 8. Many operators take the flag down at the latest by then – earlier at exposed locations. What applies to your installation is stated in the assembly and operating instructions for your pole. wind strength 6 wind warnings and from wind strength 8 storm warnings. Many operators take the flag down at the latest by then – earlier at exposed locations. What applies to your installation is stated in the assembly and operating instructions for your pole.
The reason for this caution is physics, not overcaution: wind force increases im Quadrat with the square of speed. If the wind speed doubles, the force quadruples – and that force acts not only on the flag but, via the pole's lever arm, on the foundation. The flag is almost always the largest surface exposed to the wind. Once it is taken down, most of the load disappears.
The Beaufort scale is the internationally used classification; weather services base their warning levels on it. The right-hand column is for guidance only; it is not an operating instruction:
| Bft | Description | Geschwindigkeit | How to recognise it | Einordnung |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | Calm to light wind | up to approx. 19 km/h | Leaves rustle, flag hangs still or moves slightly | unkritisch |
| 4–5 | Moderate to fresh wind | ca. 20–38 km/h | Flag flies out fully, twigs move | Idealbedingungen |
| 6–7 | Strong to near gale wind | ca. 39–61 km/h | Large branches move, walking becomes difficult | Wind warning range issued by weather services |
| 8–9 | Gale to storm | ca. 62–88 km/h | Twigs break off, flag cracks loudly | Sturmwarnbereich |
| 10–12 | Severe storm to hurricane force | ab ca. 89 km/h | Trees are uprooted, roof tiles fly off | Severe weather range; have the installation checked afterwards |
The thresholds are rounded slightly differently by a few km/h depending on the source.
A flag half the size also has only half the surface area exposed to the wind. As a general recommendation, the flag's length should be about a third to at most half the height of the pole. The flag size your specific pole is rated to carry is stated in its technical documentation – even a solid pole can be pushed to its limit by a flag that is too large.
In Deutschland In Germany, wind load on structures is determined according to DIN EN 1991-1-4 with the national annex; the decisive factors are wind zone, terrain category and height above ground. For locations in Austria, the Austrian regulations apply instead – more on this here.
How to take the flag down gently and store it: Taking down and storing a flag.
There is no general statutory wind-strength limit. What matters is the manufacturer's specifications for your installation, as well as the operator's general duty to ensure their installation poses no danger.
Poles are designed for specific load assumptions – which these are is stated in the documentation for the pole in question. Regardless of that, the flag is usually the first component to give way: it wears through at the fly end and ends up costing more than the effort of taking it down would.
In that case, a smaller flag and a version with a reinforced fly-end hem make sense. For permanently unattended locations, we are happy to advise you on the right combination.
They don't flap freely, but the load acts permanently on the outrigger instead. Here too, the specification in your pole's operating instructions applies.
View flagpoles Lowering & storing the flag
Important: The table matches wind speeds to the weather services' warning levels. It serves as guidance – not a regulation, not an operating instruction and not a safety guarantee. What is binding for your installation is the assembly and operating instructions as well as the design calculation for your location; operation and public safety duties lie with the operator. As of: September 2026.
