Saffir-Simpson scale
Topic: Air Masses, Fronts, Cyclones and Thunderstorms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Saffir-Simpson scale rates hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific by their maximum sustained wind speed. It has five categories, from 1 (weakest) to 5 (strongest). Category 3 and above are called "major hurricanes". Category 5 means winds of 252 km/h or more. The scale helps people judge how much damage to expect.
Example
Hurricane Katrina (2005) reached Category 5 over the Gulf of Mexico. It struck the US Gulf coast near New Orleans as a major hurricane.
Don't confuse with
- IMD classification: India uses its own scale for the north Indian Ocean, from depression to super cyclonic storm (222 km/h or more). IMD averages wind over 3 minutes, while the US uses 1 minute, so the two scales cannot be matched directly.
- Enhanced Fujita scale: rates tornadoes (EF0–EF5) by the damage they cause, not hurricanes.