Hurricanes are ranked according to their maximum winds using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. A Category 1 storm has the lowest maximum winds (74-95 mph, 119-153 km/h) while a Category 5 hurricane has the highest (> 155 mph, 249 km/h).The U.S. National Hurricane Center classifies hurricanes of Category 3 and above as major hurricanes.
The U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center classifies West Pacific typhoons as tropical cyclones with winds greater than 73 mph (118 km/h). Typhoons with wind speeds of at least 150 mph (67 m/s or 241 km/h), equivalent to a strong Category 4 hurricane, are dubbed Super Typhoons.
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
TD TS 1 2 3 4 5
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology uses a 1 to 5 scale called "tropical cyclone severity categories." Unlike the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, severity categories are based on estimated maximum wind gusts. A Category 1 storm features gusts less than 125 km/h (78 mph) while gusts in a Category 5 cyclone are at least 280 km/h (174 mph). Category 3, 4, and 5 storms are classified as "severe."
The terms used in the Southwestern Indian Ocean are different to the ones used in the Atlantic and Pacific, and include the following:
Moderate Tropical Storm means a tropical disturbance in which the maximum of the average wind speed is 34 to 47 knots (63 to 88 km/h).
Severe Tropical Storm indicates a tropical disturbance in which the maximum of the average wind speed is 48 to 63 knots (89 to 117 km/h).
Tropical Cyclone is used for a tropical disturbance in which the maximum of the average wind speed is 64 to 89 knots (118 to 165 km/h).
The term Intense Tropical Cyclone labels tropical disturbances in which the maximum of the average wind speed is 90 to 115 knots (166 to 212 km/h).
Very Intense Tropical Cyclone designates a tropical disturbance in which the maximum of the average wind speed is greater than 115 knots (greater than 212 km/h).
Most countries use the maximum 10-minute wind average suggested by the World Meteorological Organization, which was once the standard in the United States. Meteorologists in the U.S. now use the maximum 1-minute maximum winds 10 meters above the ground to determine tropical cyclone strength.Maximum wind speeds are typically about 12% lower with the 10-minute method than with the 1-minute method.
The rankings are not absolute in terms of damage and other effects because the rankings are based only on windspeed. Lower-category storms can inflict greater damage than higher-category storms, depending on factors such as local terrain and total rainfall. For instance, a Category 2 hurricane that strikes a major urban area will likely do more damage than a large Category 5 hurricane that strikes a mostly rural region. In fact, tropical systems of minimal strength can produce significant damage and human casualties from flooding and landslides, particularly if they are slow-moving or very large in size. An example of a small, slow moving system producing great damage was Tropical Storm Allison, which caused $5.5 billion in damage (2001 USD) without ever reaching hurricane intensity.Conversely, Hurricane Bret made landfall in an unpopulated area of Texas two years earlier, and though it was a Category 3 hurricane it caused only $60 million (1999 USD) in damage.
2006-12-29 18:19:32
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answer #1
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answered by ditk0 2
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Hurricanes aren't measures on the Fujita scale (F1, F2...). Tornadoes are.
The Fujita scale doesn't go by wind speed or funnel appearance. It is measures the damage that the tornado makes.
Hurricanes are measured by Category (Category 1, Category 2...)
The following website describes how to categorize a hurricane.
Hurricanes are categorized by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale which goes from 1-5.
Hope this helps.
Miranda
2006-12-29 18:23:07
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answer #2
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answered by miranda2586 2
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Yes
Level 1, 74-95 mph
Level 2, 96-110 mph
Level 3, 111-130 mph
Level 4, 131-155 mph
Level 5, 156 mph"
2006-12-30 13:48:05
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answer #3
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answered by Showstoppers 2
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