Exploring the need for a new category in hurricane intensity

Scientists suggest adding a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale due to increasingly intense storms.

Scott Dance reports for The Washington Post.

In short:

• The proposed Category 6 would apply to tropical cyclones with winds exceeding 192 mph.
• This change reflects the growing intensity of hurricanes, with five surpassing this threshold since 2013.
• The Saffir-Simpson scale, created in the 1970s, currently caps at Category 5, indicating the highest level of hurricane severity.

Key quote:

“Climate change has demonstrably made the strongest storms stronger."

— Michael Wehner, senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Why this matters:

The potential introduction of a Category 6 hurricane level underscores the escalating severity of storms, a trend with profound implications for public safety and environmental policy.

LISTEN: Robbie Parks on why hurricanes are getting deadlier