Overall, the IPCC concludes that there is "high confidence" that humans have contributed to increases in precipitation associated with tropical cyclones, and "medium confidence" that humans have contributed to the higher probability of a tropical cyclone being more intense.

Hurricanes are strong storms that wreak havoc in tropical areas and beyond, but there’s more to them than meets the eye. The word hurricane is believed to come from the indigenous Caribbean Taino word huricán, meaning evil spirits of the wind.

When hurricanes form, the category number is often the first thing people want to know. It's important to understand what the ratings really mean.