Why there isn’t a Category 6 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale

On Monday, Milton rapidly became a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. The tropical cyclone formed on Saturday afternoon, October 5. In just 20 hours, Milton intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, the highest measure on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Live: Follow the path and latest news of Hurricane Milton today

The Saffir-Simpson scale is used to classify hurricanes according to the speed of their sustained winds. The more intense the winds, the higher the category. These are the categories of hurricanes, according to the speed of their sustained winds:

Milton is currently packing sustained winds of 175 mph, far exceeding the lowest sustained winds for the highest category, sparking a debate among Internet users and social media users: Is it possible for a hurricane to reach Category 6?

Is there a Category 6 hurricane?

In recent years, there has been a debate among meteorologists over whether a Category 6 should be added to the Saffir-Simpson scale. The current scale was first established in 1960 and refined in 1970. However, a recent study by scientist Michael Wehner suggests adding a Category 6 since today’s hurricanes are more powerful due to climate change.

The study proposes adding a Category 6 for hurricanes with sustained winds exceeding 192 miles per hour. However, this is only a proposal and the official scale has not been modified, meaning Category 5 is the highest.

Currently, hypothetical Category 6 storms are rare, but not non-existent. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines, reached winds of 195 miles per hour, while Hurricane Patricia, the most intense tropical cyclone in the Western Hemisphere, topped sustained winds of 215 mph.