As hurricanes continue to grow more intense, a recent study proposes a sixth level of class for powerful storms.
A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calls for the wind scale measuring hurricane power to add Category 6 as another level of intensity.
Hurricanes are currently judged according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which currently rates the storms category 1 to 5 based on maximum wind speed. Under the current labels, a Category 5 storm is described as one that produces maximum wind speed of 157 mph or greater. Under the new proposal, a hurricane that reaches maximum wind speed of 192 mph or greater would be considered a Category 6 storm.
The report cites global warming as the reason for the increased intensity of storms, stating, “Storm intensities well above the Category-5 threshold are being realized and record wind speeds will likely continue to be broken as the planet continues to warm.”
Research compiled during the study revealed that five storms in the last nine years have exceeded what would be the new Category 6 standard.
Dave Lubach is executive editor for the facilities market.
