Saffir-Simpson scale

proper noun

A scale used to classify hurricanes by the intensity of their sustained winds, and thus the level of damage they might cause.

Meanings

proper nounthe Saffir-Simpson scale
  1. climatologyA scale used to classify hurricanes by the intensity of their sustained winds, and thus the level of damage they might cause.

Origin

Developed in 1971 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Simpson.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Saffir-Simpson scale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Saffir-Simpson%20scale

MLA

“Saffir-Simpson scale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Saffir-Simpson%20scale. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Saffir-Simpson scale,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Saffir-Simpson%20scale.

Source: Saffir-Simpson scale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.