Hurricane Terms and Definitions Glossary

FIRST SEEN 2026-08-11 · VERSION 20260811_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20260802_rev01

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 _Tropical storm_ - When maximum sustained winds reach 39 mph, the system is called a tropical storm, and gets the next name in the [official name list](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml) for that basin in that year. A tropical storm can have maximum sustained winds of up to 73 mph.
 This map shows the position of Tropical Storm Arthur on the evening of June 17, 2026 near the Texas coast, along with an infrared satellite image at the time.
 _Hurricane_ - The term for tropical cyclones in either the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific basins which have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.
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 _Major hurricane_ - These are hurricanes with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph, at least Category 3 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The term "major" does not imply hurricanes of a lower wind intensity, tropical storms or tropical depressions, can't have major impacts from storm surge, rainfall flooding or winds.
 [_Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale_](https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2025-05-15-saffir-simpson-hurricane-wind-scale) \- A method developed in the early 1970s to classify hurricanes based on their maximum sustained winds from Category 1 to 5. This scale does not take into consideration the hurricane's size - which can influence not only how large its wind field is, but its potential to produce storm surge flooding - nor its rainfall potential when striking land.
 This satellite image shows Category 5 Hurricane Genevieve in the Eastern Pacific Basin on July 27, 2026.