A hurricane shown from overhead approaching landfall in southern US.
3D rendering of Category 4 hurricane near the US State of Louisiana.
  • Scientists argue that we need to add a Category 6 to the Hurricane Wind scale. 
  • Category 6 hurricanes would describe storms with wind speeds of at least 192 mph. 
  • Such a storm would be a "major disaster" if it made landfall over a populated area.

Climate change is driving up more than just Earth's temperature. It's making hurricanes more intense, too, which should make us revisit how we categorize these destructive storms to better warn people at risk in the future, researchers reported in a new study.