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Weather scientists say we need a new category for hurricanes. This is because climate change is causing more powerful storms. The scientists want to extend the current 1 to 5 scale used to measure hurricanes. A category 5 is currently the strongest. This is when winds reach 252 kph. The scientists say a new category of 6 is needed for winds of over 309 kph. They say that in the past decade, there have been five hurricanes and typhoons that would be a category 6. Hurricanes start in the Atlantic Ocean, while typhoons develop in the north-western Pacific Ocean.
A meteorologist said the USA's National Hurricane Center would need to start researching intense storms to create the category 6. He wants more discussions, "about how to better communicate risk in a warming world". He said greenhouse gas emissions are increasing temperatures. This is heating oceans, which gives the water extra energy. This makes hurricanes more powerful, with much higher wind speeds. The meteorologist thinks there will be more "super-storms" in the future. He said: "These storms keep getting stronger as the climate changes."
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