New Delhi

A recent study has suggested that hurricanes, fueled by the escalating climate crisis, have become so potent that a new Category 6 classification should be added to the conventional 1 to 5 scale.

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Researchers asserted that the intensification of storms, attributed to global warming and rising ocean temperatures, warrants acknowledgment of a more extreme category.

Over the last decade, five storms would have qualified as Category 6, as they had sustained wind speed of 192mph (miles per hour) or more, said the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Michael Wehner, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, highlighting the urgency for such categorisation was quoted as saying by The Guardian newsaper that "192mph is probably faster than most Ferraris, it's hard to even imagine."

Wehner, alongside James Kossin of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, proposed this additional category to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, developed in the early 1970s.

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What are existing hurricane categories?

The current scales categorise hurricanes based on sustained wind speeds, with Category 5 encompassing storms at 157mph or higher.

The study argued that recent devastating events like Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and Hurricane Patricia in 2015 show the need for a distinct category beyond Category 5.

While no Category 6 hurricanes have occurred in the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico, conditions conducive to such storms exist.

Conditions for intensified hurricanes and climate change

Although the total number of hurricanes remains relatively stable, the study noted a significant increase in the intensity of major storms over the four-decade satellite record.

A super-heated ocean, combined with a warmer, moisture-laden atmosphere, contributes to the rapid intensification of hurricanes, posing heightened risks.

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Wehner acknowledged the imperfections of the Saffir-Simpson scale in assessing the dangers associated with hurricanes.

He argued that a Category 6 designation would underscore the elevated risks posed by the climate crisis, focusing attention on the intensified storms' impact beyond wind strength.

While the study proposes a Category 6 classification, there is no indication of an imminent official adoption. 

(With inputs from agencies)