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A Tropical Storm Warning is issued when Tropical Storm conditions, including winds of 39-73 mph, are EXPECTED in a specified coastal area within 36 hours or less. Hurricane Watch A Hurricane Watch is issued when sustained winds of 74 mph or higher are POSSIBLE within the specified area of the Watch.
The Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) classifies hurricanes—which in the Western Hemisphere are tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms—into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds.
It is calculated by taking the squares of the estimated maximum sustained velocity of every active tropical storm (wind speed 35 knots or higher) at six-hour intervals. [32] The numbers are usually divided by 10,000 to make them more manageable.
Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 39 mph (63 km/h), they are typically called a "tropical storm" and assigned a name. If maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph (119 km/h), the cyclone is called: A hurricane in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, and the South Pacific Ocean east of 160°E ...
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. This scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding, and tornadoes.
Because storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf in the landfall region, wind speed is the determining factor in the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale (National Weather Service 2009a). Yet, hurricanes are much more than wind events.
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale ranks hurricanes on their wind speeds. It does not measure a hurricane's potential for storm surge, rainfall or tornadoes.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale runs from 1 to 5. The scale uses the maximum sustained wind speed within the storm. A Category 1 hurricane is the weakest, while a Category 5 hurricane is the strongest. Tropical depressions and tropical storms are not part of the scale, but they are also determined by wind speed.
Depending on the maximum sustained wind speed, tropical cyclones are designated as follows: Tropical depression is when the maximum sustained wind speed is less than 63 km/h. Tropical storm is when the maximum sustained wind speed is more than 63 km/h.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is designed to help determine wind hazards of an approaching hurricane easier for emergency officials. The scale is assigned five categories with Category 1 assigned to a minimal hurricane and Category 5 to a worst case scenario.