Study Suggests a New Category of Hurricane Is Needed – GWC Mag

A study published in February 2024 proposes expanding the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale to accommodate the increasing severity of hurricanes thanks to climate change. Here’s everything you need to know about the study and what expanding the hurricane scale could look like.

A study published on Feb. 5, 2024, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, argues that the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, invented in 1971, should be expanded. The expansion would accommodate a sixth category, as tropical storms (in this study, called tropical cyclones or “TC”s) are increasing in intensity thanks to the climate crisis.

According to the National Parks Service, the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale has five categories based on the effects a storm could have, such as wind speeds and anticipated damage. The lowest is 1, and the highest is currently at a 5, with wind speeds greater than 155 miles per hour and catastrophic roof damage or flooding.

Study co-authors Michael F. Wehner and James P. Kossin argue in the abstract that a “weakness” of the current scale is that regardless of the damage done during a hurricane, the scale remains constant, not considering stronger storms. Therefore, a potential “Category 6” would allow for worse storms to be tracked accordingly, especially because Wehner and Kossin state, “a number of recent storms have already achieved this hypothetical category 6 intensity.”

In an interview with the Guardian explaining their research, Wehner said, “Our main purpose is to raise awareness that climate change is affecting the most intense storms.”

He also stated, “There haven’t been any [tropical storms] in the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico yet, but they have conditions conducive to a category 6; it’s just luck that there hasn’t been one yet. I hope it won’t happen, but it’s just a roll of the dice. We know that these storms have already gotten more intense, and will continue to do so.”

The climate crisis is a significant contributing factor toto stronger hurricanes. According to NASA, climate change and warming global temperatures allow hurricanes to hold more water vapor, increasing intense rainfall during a storm. Additionally, NASA notes that while climate change might not change the number of hurricanes in a year, it does mean more intense storms with higher chances of destruction.