Portal:Tropical cyclones/Featured article/Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:30, 12 December 2005

Revision as of 00:56, 22 December 2005

Line 1:

{{Saffir-Simpson small|align=left}}

The '''[[Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale]]''' is a scale classifying most [[Western Hemisphere]] [[tropical cyclone]]s that exceed the levels of "tropical depression" and "tropical storm" and thereby become hurricanes. The "categories" it divides hurricanes into are distinguished by the intensities of their respective sustained [[wind]]s. The classifications are intended primarily for use in gauging the likely damage and [[flood]]ing a hurricane will cause upon landfall. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is used '''only''' to describe hurricanes forming in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and northern [[Pacific Ocean]] east of the [[International Date Line]]. Other areas label their tropical cyclones as "cyclones" and "typhoons", and use their own [[tropical cyclone classification schemes|classification schemes]].