There has never been a Cat 6 hurricane, which would be winds above 200mph

[milestogo]

If Dorian reaches that strength, will Republicans start to believe in climate change?

[sheshe2]

1. No. nt

[RockRaven]

2. No, they'll just say God did it because... reasons

He works in mysterious ways. Which we cannot understand. Except to understand that it definitely was not climate change.

[PCIntern]

3. No

The wind gauges lied. We know this to be true because many people know it to be true

[Skittles]

4. repukes believe whatever their dittomasters tell them

[OAITW r.2.0]

5. Doubtful.

Too much oil money to be had denying climate change is happening. The Party of Family Values (tm) really don't even give a shit about their own kid's future.

[Lochloosa]

6. There has never been a Cat 6 cause it doesn't exist.

SS scale only goes to 5

Camille was close though

[milestogo]

7. Seems like it is under discussion, but would not be added unless it happened.

There is no reason a hurricane could not achieve 200mph if conditions were right.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

9. Exactly where is it "under discussion" ??

[milestogo]

10. Have you heard of Google?

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/category-6-hurricane-saffir-simpson-wind-scale

[TwilightZone]

11. As noted in your article, it doesn't exist.

"The only way that is possible is if the National Hurricane Center (NHC) decides in the future to adjust its Saffir-Simpson Scale."

[Polybius]

14. It doesn't exist because it never happened, at least since we've been keeping records

Theoretically, a hurricane can reach 200 mph. Wilma did 185. I see no reason why 200 wouldn't be possible.

Edit: Patricia did 215, yikes. So if it happened today it would probably be called a category 6.

[Ms. Toad]

15. No - the highest category that exists today is Category 5

So if it happened to day it would be still be a Category 5 (just as it was then).

[Mariana]

17. Once upon a time, they just told us the sustained wind speed

At some point, I guess someone decided that numbers greater than five were just too complicated for the public to handle, when reporting the strength of tropical cyclones.

[Polybius]

18. So what's the limit? What if one goes up to 250?

How about 300? They would not keep a cat 5 up to infinity, it has a limit.

[TwilightZone]

19. There is no limit.

Cat 5 is ≥ 157 mph.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir%E2%80%93Simpson_scale

Similarly, F5 tornadoes have no limit.

[Polybius]

21. Because they never had to

If 225 mph hurricanes ever become a thing you start to see regularly, they will add a 6. It would just be stupid not to. And then they can do 7 if 250 mph show up. Of course none of this will happen, I hope.

[Ms. Toad]

20. Nope. At this point it goes to infinity.

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php

From the official website:

5
(major) 157 mph or higher

From the .pdf linked to on the same website: Category Five Hurricane (Sustained winds 157 mph or higher, 137 kt or higher, or 252 km/h or higher).

[Polybius]

22. Yes, I know "at this point" we do

But if we start seeing 250 mph hurricanes, it would be kinda silly to lump a 157 mph and a 250 mph into the same category. So I guess the Great Red Spot is still a Cat 5.

Seriously though, I hope it never has to change. Winds over 200 is just nuts.

[sir pball]

23. Wind speed isn't how the intensity of storms are gauged.

Barometric pressure at the eye is how storms are measured.

Wilma is still the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, with a measured low of 882 mbar (26.05 inHg), but her winds were low compared to Camille.

Tip, in 1979, still takes the cake though, with a recorded 870 mbar (25.69 inHg), winds over 190mph...and a diameter of 1,400 miles.

[at140]

28. WOW way back in 1979...40 years ago!

Climate change was already in place 40 years ago!

The climate change which scares me most is onset of another ice age, which occurs at regular intervals based on geological data. Hopefully not for another couple of thousand years.

[Chemisse]

29. Climate change denying? We've always had strong hurricanes on occasion.

They are just more common now - with climate change in action - because there is more heat in the water and atmosphere.

If you're not scared of the climate change we are facing right now, you're not paying attention.

[at140]

32. Right now I am in Florida

and I am definitely worried about climate here getting any hotter. The whole summer has been hot here.

Before Florida, I was in WA state for almost 20 years, and warmer climate there would be good for more golf days! So all depends on where one lives and how the climate change will affect one.

But I can not imagine having several mile thick glaciers sitting on top of Chicagoland during the previous ice age. If and when that happens again, it will be catastrophe squared.

[Chemisse]

38. Sadly, I think you will find that the warming of the earth will also be catastrophic

At least for humans. And in ways that even scientists can't yet predict.

You don't seem to know much about what it means, other than its effect on local weather. I expect you are happier that way. Sometimes I wish I knew less than I do.

[Polybius]

39. The ice age process takes over 1,000 years

So it wouldn't be sudden.

[at140]

41. That is very good to know!

I already know none of us living today will be remotely affected by next ice age.
I was just imagining the horrible catastrophe in Chicago area if it was again covered by glacier ice 2-4 miles high.

[cwydro]

40. Whoa! The summer was hot in Florida?!

Excuse me for laughing; I lived there 25 years.

Pretty damn hot here in NC too. Neither of these states has EVER been cool in the summer.

[at140]

42. After 20 years in Seattle area, just getting used to

summers in Florida. Thank goodness for air conditioned houses and cars & every restaurant.
In Seattle area, we never even had a air conditioner installed. It was not necessary! May be 10 days during the whole year around 90 degrees. And it is NOT humid, so 90 is tolerable.

[cwydro]

43. I recently visited Seattle for the first time. LOVE the area.

Especially loved legal weed shops!

I was a bit shocked at all the homeless encampments however.

I’d love to live out in that area. Whatever possessed you to move to Florida from Washington State?

[at140]

45. As lovely as Seattle summers are,

the winters are cold and damp. Just got old (at age 76) and Florida's warm weather beckoned me.
Another reason was ease of catching a cruise without flying, and cost of housing is much less. But I dearly miss my golf in Washington state. It was the best for 8 months every year.

[at140]

46. The homeless are in every large west coast city

The weather is mild and they can survive outdoors.

[Dennis Donovan]

36. ...but this one goes to 6

[Lochloosa]

37. 6 is too low. Push it to 11

[Thomas Hurt]

8. The far right are magical thinkers...and they have to stick it to the liberals...

even if we destroy ourselves.

[JDC]

12. They already do. They just work for big oil and energy

And chemical and pharma and and and. It's about the money. And power goes with that.

[madville]

13. Hurricane Patricia had max sustained winds of 215 mph, affected Texas and Mexico

That was in 2015. Strongest storm globally to date.

[Celerity]

25. yes, in terms of wind speed

Hurricane Patricia was the most intense tropical cyclone on record worldwide in terms of wind speed, and the second-most intense tropical cyclone on record worldwide in terms of pressure, behind Super Typhoon Tip in 1979.

Patricia almost beat it in pressure:

Hurricane Patrica: Lowest pressure 872 mbar (hPa); 25.75 inHg

Super Typhoon Tip: Lowest pressure (lowest sea-level pressure ever observed on Earth) 870 hPa (mbar); 25.69 inHg

Typhoon Tip was also the largest tropical cyclone on record in size.

Either one would have killed 10's of thousands (probably more) if they made a direct full-force hits on Florida/the Eastern Seaboard or on the Gulf. Tip was so large (2,200 km width of wind circulation at its peak, nearly half the size of the contiguous United States) it would have taken out multiple states, FL AND all the Gulf.

Earth's Strongest, Most Massive Storm Ever

On October 12, 1979, Typhoon Tip generated peak wind speeds of 300 kilometers per hour. If it had been over the U.S., it would have stretched from Dallas to New York City

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earths-strongest-most-massive-storm-ever/

On Oct. 12, 1979, Super Typhoon Tip's central pressure dropped to 870 mb (25.69 inches Hg), the lowest sea-level pressure ever observed on Earth, according to NOAA. Peak wind gusts reached 190 mph (306 kph) while the storm churned over the western Pacific.

Besides having unsurpassed intensity, Super Typhoon Tip is also remembered for its massive size. Tip's diameter of circulation spanned approximately 1,380 miles (2,220 km), setting a record for the largest storm on Earth. The storm's huge diameter was exactly the same as the distance from New York City to Dallas.







The truly terrifying thing is, that with global climate change intensifying, we may soon see storms that dwarf both.

[at140]

33. Amazing pictures...thanks for posting.

[Celerity]

34. yw!

[Jirel]

16. Nope.

They’ll chalk it up to the Obamas and Clintons conspiring (through Her (missing) Emails) with the Deep State to create the monster hurricane with HAARP and direct it over Merde-a-Lago.

Just wait. I’ll put money on it that this shows up on Qanon boards.

[Cetacea]

24. Meterologists were in fact discussing this a few storms ago

I think that they should update the categories to reflect climate changes.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

26. Rare photo of only Cat 6 known to exist:

[milestogo]

31. ...

[madaboutharry]

27. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Vapid Idiot)

will issue a statement that it is not proven proof.

[catsudon]

30. it would make more sense to

convert into a base 10 system, and then when things go really bad we can add 11 to it.

[Dagstead Bumwood]

35. Yep, Spinal Tap makes everything better.

[gldstwmn]

44. "Act of God"