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Cyclone intensity is measured by wind speed, and cyclones are accorded a category based on this:

  • Category 1 - gales with gusts to 125 km/h
  • Category 2 - destructive winds with gusts of 125 -170 km/h
  • Category 3 - very destructive winds with gusts of 170 - 225 km/h
  • Category 4 - very destructive winds with gusts of 225 - 280 km/h
  • Category 5 - very destructive winds with gusts exceeding 280 km/h

Hurricanes, which are cyclones in the northern hemisphere (the waters of the Atlantic and Caribbean), are classified according to the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which is also based on wind speed - not wind gusts, but rather sustained wind speeds. The highest classification on this scale is category 5, in which sustained winds exceed 250 km/h.

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15y ago

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