Hurricane category 6 to hit soon? Here's what research paper has claimed

Will Category 6 Hurricane be a reality? A research paper has claimed that wind speed during a hurricane can cross 192 mph and therefore wind scale must add a Category 6. This comes amidst concerns over increasing sea-surface-temperature.

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal suggests the potential addition of a Category 6 to the established Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This proposal arises from the observed trend of increasingly powerful tropical cyclones, attributed to the warming of ocean waters by climate researchers, as per a Fox Weather report.

The classification of hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin ranges from Category 1 to Category 5, determined by their maximum sustained winds. Referred to as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, this methodology has been employed by the National Hurricane Center since the early 1970s to assess hurricane intensity, as per the Fox Weather report.


While widely recognized by the public, this scale does not include a Category 6 designation and is limited to hurricanes with winds exceeding 157 mph, categorized as Category 5 storms, Fox Weather reported.

An increasing number of cyclones are capitalizing on favorable conditions, resulting in higher wind speeds and greater intensity, according to the researchers. Their findings suggest that such occurrences will become even more frequent as global temperatures continue to rise, as per a report in USA Today.

In their study, researchers introduced the concept of a hypothetical Category 6 hurricane, defined by a minimum threshold of 192 mph, to analyze storms occurring during the modern satellite era, dating back to around 1980. Their analysis identified five hurricanes and typhoons that would have qualified under these criteria, all of which occurred within the past decade, USA Today reported.

FAQs:

Q1. How many categories are there for Hurricane?
A1. The classification of hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin ranges from Category 1 to Category 5.

Q2. What is the highest category of Hurricane?
A2. While widely recognized by the public, this scale does not include a Category 6 designation and is limited to hurricanes with winds exceeding 157 mph, categorized as Category 5 storms.