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 ...

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 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 ...

“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 ...

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 ...

The incredible 252 mph peak wind gust measured in Hurricane Melissa as it approached Jamaica was verified this week. That wind gust is now officially the highest wind speed ever recorded by the ...

Catastrophic Hurricane Melissa made landfall along the southwestern coast of Jamaica on Tuesday with dangerous wind speeds of 185 mph and life-threatening storm surge, preparing to leave a wake of ...

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, ...