'Category 6': the growing fury of hurricanes

Hurricanes are among the most dramatic examples of extreme weather. And with climate change making tropical cyclones ever more intense, some scientists are arguing that the way we categorise them doesn’t sufficiently describe how dangerous these storms can be. They say the solution is to add a brand new ‘category 6’ to the system known as the Saffir-Simpson scale.

On this episode, Katya is joined by the BBC’s Graihagh Jackson, host of The Climate Question. They examine how hurricanes are classified, and ask if we need to find more efficient methods of saving lives.

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This podcast was made by Neal Razzell, Laurie Kalus and Alix Pickles. The technical producers were Hannah Montgomery and Graham White. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.