List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes

Within the Atlantic Ocean to the north of the equator, hurricanes are officially monitored by the United States's National Hurricane Center (NHC), however, other meteorological services, such as Météo-France, the United Kingdom's Met Office and Environment Canada also monitor the basin.

Within the region, a Category 5 hurricane is a tropical cyclone which reaches Category 5 status on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, that is, a tropical cyclone that has 1-minute mean maximum sustained wind speeds of 137 knots (254 km/h; 158 mph; 70 m/s) or greater at 10 metres (32.8 ft) above ground.

[1] A total of 42 tropical cyclones have been estimated to have peaked as Category 5 hurricanes on the SSHWS, with the first occurrence recorded in 1924.

It can be presumed that earlier storms reached Category 5 strength over open waters, but the strongest winds were not measured.

For example, as the Great Beaufort Hurricane of 1879 struck North Carolina, the anemometer cups were blown away when indicating 138 mph (222 km/h).

[2] As of May 2018[update], a reanalysis of weather data was ongoing by researchers who may upgrade or downgrade Atlantic hurricanes.

Camille, Andrew, Dean, Felix, Irma, Maria, and Milton each attained Category 5 status twice during their lifespans.

[6] The July and August Category 5 hurricanes reached their high intensities in both the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

[9] This is due to the climatology of the area, which sometimes has a high-altitude anticyclone that promotes rapid intensification late in the season, as well as warm waters.

However, later systematic studies by the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project found that the wind speeds associated with these systems were overestimated and downgraded them to either Category 4 or 3.