Scientists are asking to adjust the scale of hurricanes because they are now more powerful

The scientific duo is proposing adjustments to the Saffir-Simpson category to better measure the increasingly destructive hurricanes caused by climate change.

Michael Wehner, a climate scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and climate scientist James Caussin propose changing the Category 5 limits to create a Category 6, explaining that cyclones with winds of more than 300 kilometers per hour have been recorded on Earth for several years now.

For reference, according to the Saffir-Simpson scale, invented in the 1970s, the highest level is considered a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of up to 252 kilometers per hour. However, events such as Hurricane Patricia, which struck Mexico in 2015, recorded maximum wind speeds of 346 kilometers per hour.

Wehner and Caussin’s proposal would raise Category 5 hurricane limits to wind speeds of 252 to 309 kilometers per hour (156 to 192 mph), as well as creating a Category 6 for events with wind speeds greater than 309 kilometers per hour. hour.

Experts say adjusting the Saffir-Simpson scale will allow for better warning of potential damage from more powerful hurricanes, as well as more accurately measure the destructive potential of hurricanes that are expected to be more destructive due to rising sea temperatures.