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Is A Category 6 Hurricane Possible In The Atlantic This Year?


UPDATE (21/08/25): According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Erin is a very large Hurricane, with Hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105 miles (165 km) from the center and Tropical-Storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles (520 km).

Below is a view of Hurricane Erin as it swirls Northward, with lightning flashes visible across the system:

 


Each Summer, millions of people living in Hurricane-prone regions of the Atlantic watch the tropics with growing concern. The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from 1st June to 30th November each year and occurs when tropical or subtropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic Ocean.

At 11:00 AM on Friday (15th August, 2025), Erin went from a Category 1 Hurricane with 75 mph winds to a Category 5 with near 160 mph winds — in just over twenty-four (24) hours. This feat thrusted Erin in the history books as one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic Hurricanes on record. It also potentially became the fastest intensification rate for any storm earlier than 1st September.

As of the writing of this article (Sunday 17th August, 2025), Erin is currently a Category 3, but is forecast to return to Category 5 strength as it undergoes an eye-wall replacement cycle, which is a process that will cause the storm’s wind-field to increase in size.

Rapid intensification occurs when a Hurricane gains at least 35 mph of wind speed in at least twenty-four (24) hours. Extreme rapid intensification historically tends to happen during the months of September and October.

Hurricanes are said to be rapidly intensifying in the Atlantic as the oceans and atmosphere warm in response to fossil fuel pollution and the resulting global warming. This situation likely makes Erin another example of the increasing extremes of a “warming world,” so to speak. 

Additionally, Erin is now listed as just one of only forty-three (43) Category 5 Hurricanes on record in the Atlantic. While rare, it is not as rare in the context of recent Hurricane Seasons. Erin is the 11th Category 5 Hurricane recorded in the Atlantic since 2016, which is definitely an unusually high number. It is also unusual to see a Category 5 storm form this early in the Hurricane Season, particularly outside the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America, anyone?).

Peak strength is certainly becoming easier for storms to achieve. 

From the Caribbean to the U.S. Gulf Coast, the approach of Hurricane Season brings familiar anxieties: Where will the storms form? How strong will they get? Will this be the year another monster storm strikes? But in recent years, another question has begun to surface in both scientific and public discussions: Should we expand the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to include a Category 6?


Why The Question Even Exists

The Saffir-Simpson scale, first developed in the early 1970s, classifies Hurricanes into five (5) categories, based solely on sustained wind speeds, as follows:

  • Category 1: 74 – 95 mph.
  • Category 2: 96 – 110 mph.
  • Category 3: 111 – 129 mph.
  • Category 4: 130 – 156 mph.
  • Category 5: 157 mph and above.

Take note of that last line: “157 mph and above.” When the scale was created, the idea of storms consistently surpassing that mark seemed unlikely. Yet today, thanks to warmer oceans, higher sea surface temperatures, and shifting climate patterns, we are routinely seeing storms reaching well beyond this threshold. Wind speeds of 170 mph, 180 mph, and in rare cases, even higher, have already been measured in the Atlantic.

This reality has sparked debate: When storms can exceed the destructive potential implied by “Category 5,” does it make sense to lump them all together?



(Click/Tap Image To Enlarge)


The Case For “Category 6”

A Category 6 would not simply be about rebranding storms — it would be about better communicating risk.

  • Clarity for the Public: When every storm over 157 mph is called “Category 5,” the public may not distinguish between a storm barely above that mark and one roaring with 190 mph winds. Yet the damage potential is unequivocally worlds apart.
  • Planning & Infrastructure: Emergency management, evacuation planning, and building codes depend on accurate gradations of risk. A “Category 6” designation could push coastal cities and island nations to take stronger mitigation measures.
  • Scientific Accuracy: Meteorology evolves with time. Just as we’ve improved forecasting with satellites, drones, and AI modeling, we can refine classification systems to reflect modern realities.

Most proposed versions of a Category 6 suggest setting the cutoff at 180 mph sustained winds, though some argue 175 mph is sufficient.


Recent Storms That Qualify As “Category 6” Candidates

Several recent Atlantic Hurricanes demonstrate why many experts are advocating for a sixth category:

  • Hurricane Dorian (2019): Stalled over the Bahamas with sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts exceeding 220 mph. Entire neighborhoods were erased, and the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama were left devastated.
  • Hurricane Irma (2017): Maintained 180 mph winds for thirty-seven (37) hours, the longest any tropical cyclone has ever sustained such intensity in the Atlantic. The storm ravaged Barbuda, St. Martin, and parts of the Virgin Islands before striking Florida.
  • Hurricane Maria (2017): Struck Dominica at 160 mph and Puerto Rico at 155 mph after briefly peaking at 175 mph. Its humanitarian toll was catastrophic, with thousands of deaths linked to the aftermath.
  • Hurricane Patricia (2015, Eastern Pacific but still relevant): Though Patricia did not occur in the Atlantic, the storm briefly reached 215 mph winds — a sobering reminder of how strong tropical cyclones can become.

These storms were all technically “Category 5,” yet their impacts varied dramatically. Dorian and Irma, in particular, clearly exceeded what the average person imagines when they hear “Category 5.”


Could 2025 Bring A Category 6 In The Atlantic?

The Atlantic basin in 2025 is shaping up with conditions that fuel major Hurricanes:

  • Above-average sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean.
  • Low wind-shear expected during peak season, which allows storms to intensify without being torn apart.
  • Climate-driven amplification, with research suggesting the probability of ultra-intense storms has already doubled compared to the mid-20th century.

While no one can predict with certainty whether a storm will reach the “Category 6” threshold this year, the probability is not zero — and it is rising.


A Scale That Must Evolve

Critics of expanding the Saffir-Simpson scale argue that it was never designed to capture storm surge, rainfall, or humanitarian impact — it’s strictly a wind-based measurement. However, winds remain the most universally understood metric. Adding a Category 6 would not solve all communication problems in Hurricane science, but it would bridge a growing gap between reality and public understanding.

The alternative — leaving the scale as-is — risks desensitizing people to the difference between a “marginal” Category 5 and a record-shattering monster. If the world’s most powerful Hurricanes keep coming at us, a Category 6 may soon be less of a debate and more of a necessity.

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