They used a hypothetical Category 6, with a minimum threshold of 192 mph, to study hurricanes that have occurred in the modern satellite era, since around 1980.

Milton’s race from a Category 2 to a Category 5 hurricane in just a few hours has left people wondering if the powerhouse storm could possibly become a Category 6.. The hurricane grew very ...

A Category 6 could help convey the severity of these superstorms more accurately, leading to better preparation and potentially saving lives. Climate Change and Hurricane Intensity.

That put it just within Category 5 strength. While strong, that wouldn’t be enough for it to be considered a Category 6 storm based on Wehner and Kossin’s hypothetical suggestion.

The idea of adding a Category 6 has surfaced several times in the last few decades, as storms like Hurricane Dorian in 2019 delivered some of the highest wind speeds on record ...

That's how many storms could have been classified as a Category 6 between 1980 and 2021, meaning they exceeded maximum sustained winds of 192 mph. Of those, only one threatened North America.

Category 5 is the highest category at the moment, but many experts have suggested that as hurricanes get more powerful due to climate change we may need to expand to a Category 6.

The hypothetical Category 6 would apply to storms with wind speeds over 192 miles per hour. Under the current standards, storms with winds of 157 miles per hour or higher are considered a Category 5.

According to new research, the five-category Saffir-Simpson Windscale may need to add a Category 6 with a minimum wind threshold of 192 miles per hour and, potentially, even a Category 7.

There is no “Category 6" on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, but the Category 5 grouping, which is open-ended, begins at 157 mph, far lower than the intensities of such storms.

While some people theorized Hurricane Milton might reach Category 6, no such rating exists. The hurricane Saffir-Simpson scale only goes up to Category 5. Skip Navigation ...