Friday, September 8, 2017

Why There's No Such Thing As a Category 6 Hurricane

As Hurricane Irma barrels towards the

United States mainland with 185 mph winds that put it squarely in Category 5, reports of its record-breaking strength have coalesced into a rumor. Scientists are scrambling for a new classification, the story goes, and Irma could be the first Category 6 storm. Despite Irma's unprecedented strength the rumor is false. There are no Category 6 storms for a reason—it would be pointless to make the distinction.