- Researchers suggest adding a Category 6 to the hurricane wind scale as storms become more intense in a warming world.
- Five storms since 2013 have already reached or surpassed proposed Category 6 wind speeds.
- While the risk of a Category 6 hurricane hitting major cities like New York is small, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean face a non-negligible risk. Mitigating climate change could reduce the chances of these devastating storms.
Additional Coverage:
- Scientists say hurricanes are growing so powerful that we need to add a Category 6. Here’s what that would look like. (businessinsider.com)
A new study conducted by researchers suggests the need to add a Category 6 to the existing hurricane wind scale. Currently, hurricanes are categorized from 1 to 5 based on their wind speeds, with Category 5 indicating speeds of 157 mph or higher. The scientists argue that the “or higher” classification for Category 5 storms is problematic, especially in a warming world where hurricanes are becoming more intense. They propose that Category 6 should represent storms with sustained wind speeds of at least 192 mph, similar to the speeds NASCAR drivers reach.
Since 2013, five storms have already reached or surpassed the proposed Category 6 wind speeds. These include Hurricane Patricia, Typhoon Haiyan, and Typhoon Meranti. With the increased global temperatures due to climate change, the risk of such powerful storms is also on the rise.
Although the risk of a Category 6 hurricane hitting a major city like New York is small, the researchers highlight that the risk in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean is not negligible. They emphasize that if a Category 6 storm were to make landfall in a populated area, even after weakening somewhat, it would still be a major disaster. They use Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines in 2013, as an example. When it made landfall, it had windspeeds of 196 mph, causing widespread devastation and loss of life.
While Typhoon Haiyan is considered an anomaly, the researchers warn that if global temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, storms of this magnitude could become more common worldwide. In the Atlantic, where hurricanes form that threaten the US East Coast, the likelihood of a Category 6 hurricane increases when global warming reaches 3 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Currently, global temperatures are around 1.2 or 1.3 degrees Celsius, indicating there is still time to mitigate the risks by reducing pollution.