Hurricane season 2026: What is the Saffir-Simpson intensity scale?

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 ...
USA Today

Is Category 5 the worst type of hurricane? Absolutely not.

From Category 1 to Category 5, hurricane forecasters' famous rating system has become ingrained in the minds of millions of Americans from Texas to Maine. The scale, known as the Saffir-Simpson ...

Forget Just The Wind: Why This Year’s Hurricane Forecast Requires A Brand New Playbook

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

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

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 ...
WGRZ

Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale: How to measure a tropical cyclone's strength

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 ...