Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS)
A five-category scale classifying hurricanes by their maximum sustained surface wind speed.
Category 1 begins at 64 knots and Category 5 at 137 knots on the one-minute sustained-wind convention used by the United States National Hurricane Center. The categories indicate potential wind damage but do not measure a cyclone’s physical size or overall destructive potential.
Storm surge, rainfall, flooding, tornadoes and waves are not included in the category number and can be life-threatening at any category. Mariners should use the complete official forecast, track, wind-radius, sea and warning information.
