Guide
Tropical Cyclone Categories Explained: Hurricanes, Typhoons and the Saffir-Simpson Scale
By the GlobalRisk team · Published 2026-10-06
Hurricane, typhoon and cyclone are regional names for the same type of storm: a rotating, organized system of thunderstorms that forms over warm tropical oceans. The name depends on where it forms.
Names by region
- Hurricane: North Atlantic and the central and eastern North Pacific.
- Typhoon: Northwest Pacific.
- Cyclone: South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
The Saffir-Simpson scale
The most commonly quoted rating ranks storms by sustained wind speed, from Category 1 to Category 5:
| Category | Sustained winds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 119–153 km/h (74–95 mph) |
| 2 | 154–177 km/h (96–110 mph) |
| 3 | 178–208 km/h (111–129 mph) |
| 4 | 209–251 km/h (130–156 mph) |
| 5 | 252 km/h (157 mph) or higher |
Categories 3 and above are usually called "major" storms. Weaker systems are classed as tropical depressions or tropical storms, based on lower wind speeds.
Wind speed is only part of the danger
The category describes wind only. Many of the deadliest effects of tropical cyclones come from other hazards:
- Storm surge: sea water pushed onshore, often the greatest threat to life along the coast.
- Rainfall flooding: slow-moving storms can drop huge amounts of rain far from the coast.
- Tornadoes and landslides in the outer bands and over hilly terrain.
A lower-category storm that moves slowly or hits a low-lying area can be more destructive than a higher-category one that passes quickly.
On GlobalRisk
Tropical cyclone alerts come from GDACS (see GDACS alert levels) and active storm events from NASA EONET. The category shown is the one reported by the source at the time it was collected, and it changes as the storm strengthens or weakens. Always follow your national weather service for forecasts and warnings.
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- The Pacific Ring of Fire: Why So Many Earthquakes and Volcanoes Cluster Here
General information only, not professional or emergency advice. Our methodology · Browse by country