Tropical cyclone scales facts for kids

Tropical cyclones are ranked according to their maximum winds using several scales. These scales are provided by several bodies, including the World Meteorological Organization, the National Hurricane Center, and the Bureau of Meteorology. The National Hurricane Center uses the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale for hurricanes in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic basins. Australia uses a difference set of tropical cyclone categories for their region. Many basins have different names for storms of hurricane/typhoon/cyclone strength. The use of different definitions for maximum sustained wind creates additional confusion into the definitions of cyclone categories worldwide.