With some scientists saying global warming is causing an increasing frequency and strength of hurricanes, there is a call for a new category of storms.
In fact, ABC News says there have already been hurricanes strong enough to qualify as Category 6 -- having sustained winds of more than 175 or 180 mph.
The current scale defines storms with sustained winds between 74 and 95 mph as Category 1 hurricanes, Category 2 has sustained winds from 96 to 110 mph, Category 3 has sustained winds from 111 to 130 mph, Category 4 has sustained winds between 131 and 155 mph, and a Category 5 storm has sustained winds greater than 155 mph.
A Category 6 storm would have wind speeds greater than 175 or 180 mph.
U.S. government forecasters at the National Hurricane Forecast Center in Miami didn't well predict the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, partly because of their unfamiliarity with global warming.
In May 2005, NOAA predicted the Atlantic would see 12 to 15 named tropical storms. There were 28. The experts forecast seven to nine storms would become hurricanes but 15 reached that level.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
2007 Hurricane Season Starts Early, Ends Late
The Atlantic Hurricane Season began early in 2007, and by mid-December it was still going. The season officially begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30. That means that for the most part, storms have formed and fizzled between those dates, or they used to.
NASA Satellite Captured the Life and Death of Hurricane Dean
By Friday, August 24, 2007, the remnants of Dean were dissipating off the western Mexican coast.
Double Trouble for the Big Island of Hawaii: Flossie and Quakes
On Tuesday, August 14, 2007, the Big Island of Hawaii will feel Hurricane Flossie's effects after experiencing an earthquake the night before.
'Trapped Wave' Caused Unexpected Dennis Surge
When Hurricane Dennis passed North Florida on July 10, 2005, it caused a 10-foot storm surge in some areas along Apalachee Bay — about 3 to 4 feet more than forecasted— that couldn’t be explained only by the local winds that conventionally drive storm surge.
Scientists unlock Hurricane Lili's sudden death
Using a fleet of NASA and other satellites as well as aircraft and other observations, scientists were able to unlock the secret of Hurricane Lili's unexpected, rapid weakening as she churned toward a Louisiana landfall in 2002. The data from multiple satellites enabled researchers to see dry air move into the storm's low levels, partially explaining why Lili weakened rapidly.
Meteorologists: Wilma wasn't major
Meteorologists say Wilma was a less-than-major hurricane as it crossed Florida Oct. 24, leaving nearly 6 million South Floridians without power.
Wilma wreaked havoc with weaker winds
Hurricane Wilma may have generally wreaked havoc across Florida last month, but meteorologists say it did it with mostly Category 1 wind speeds.
Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger, Study Says
The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes worldwide has nearly doubled over the past 35 years, even though the total number of hurricanes has dropped since the 1990s, according to a study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The shift occurred as global sea surface temperatures have increased over the same period. The research will appear in the September 16 issue of the journal
Science.