Editor's note: Follow USA TODAY's updates about Hurricane Kiko for Friday, Sept. 5. Hurricane Kiko is spinning over the Pacific Ocean as a major Category 4 storm on Sept. 4. In an 11 a.m. ET update, ...

A record-breaking 252-mph wind reading measured by a dropsonde launched from an NOAA Hurricane Hunter airplane during a mission into Hurricane Melissa has been verified, making it the strongest wind ...

Hurricane Melissa, with sustained winds of up to 185 mph and gusts of more than 200 mph, is riding the momentum of a low barometric pressure that ranks among the most powerful in recorded storm ...

When we talk about hurricanes, the first number you usually hear is wind speed. That makes sense. Wind is what tears off roofs, knocks down trees, and turns debris into dangerous missiles. Wind kicks ...

Hurricane Gabrielle rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm on Monday. Rapid intensification is when a storm's winds increase by at least 34.5 mph in 24 hours. Experts say this ...

Hurricane Melissa rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm, the third of the 2025 Atlantic season. This "rapid intensification," where storms quickly strengthen, is becoming more common due to ...

Hurricane Erin reached Category 5 status with 160 mph winds on Saturday, August 16th. Erin is expected to continue intensifying. While researchers have proposed a Category 6 for hurricanes exceeding ...

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Since 1971, hurricanes have been rated using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS). Researchers at the University of Florida say this scale needs to be updated because ...

“Dropsondes are small cylindrical devices that are used by organizations like NOAA to collect valuable information during extreme weather events like hurricanes or atmospheric rivers," an NSF NCAR ...

Storm surge and rainfall — not wind — cause the majority of hurricane deaths, yet are absent from the current warning system. Researchers developed and tested the Tropical Cyclone Severity Scale, ...