When you hear terms like Category 1, Category 3 or even the rare Category 5 mentioned regarding hurricanes, what is being discussed is the classification system for hurricanes based on their winds.

Tropical systems tracked by the National Hurricane Center will be classified as depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes based on their intensity. Related Articles Hurricane season 2026: How do ...

The Saffir-Simpson scale ranks hurricanes on their wind speeds, on a scale from 1 to 5. But critics say the scale doesn't ...

The upcoming 2026 Atlantic hurricane season is bringing a higher risk of tropical storms to the central and eastern Gulf ...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The easiest and most straightforward way to measure a hurricane's strength is to use the Saffir-Simpson scale. Divided into five categories, the scale designates each hurricane ...

When does a tropical depression become a tropical storm? And when does a tropical storm become a hurricane? What's the difference between a Category 1 and a Category 3 hurricane? It's all about ...

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as ...