The Atlantic hurricane season 2024 runs from June 1 to November 30.
With Category 4 Hurricane Beryl now passing through the Windward Islands, people want to know more about these intense tropical storms and how they are named.
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How do hurricanes get their names?
According to CBS NewsThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) maintains six alphabetical lists of names for Atlantic hurricanes that “rotate every six years.”
According to the outlet, a developing cyclone gets its name when it officially becomes a tropical storm, meaning it has sustained winds of at least 39 mph.
A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when it has maximum sustained winds of 74 mph.
According to the WMO, hurricanes were given female names in the mid-20th century.
He continues, “Then, in pursuit of a more organized and efficient system, North Atlantic meteorologists decided to identify storms using names from an alphabetical list: the first storm of the year would be named starting with A, such as Annie, the second B, such as Betty, etc. .”
The National Hurricane Center, a division of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issued a list of names for Atlantic tropical storms beginning in 1953. In 1979 male names were added and alternated with female names.
The WMO has now created a “strict procedure for determining the list of tropical cyclone names”.
Different regions of the world have different procedures for naming cyclones.
“In some places, such as the Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere, cyclones are named alphabetically, alternating male and female names. In other regions, the names follow the alphabetical order of countries,” the WMO states.
Why do hurricanes get names?
According to CBS News, the naming helps meteorologists and the public track hurricanes.
Meteorologists began following an alphabetical system, with the first storm of the season given an “A” name, the second a “B” name, and so on.
According to the WMO, naming tropical cyclones “has proven to be the fastest way to communicate warnings and increase public awareness and preparedness.”
Naming tropical cyclones “makes tracking and discussing specific storms easier, especially when multiple storms are active at once.”
It also “helps avoid confusion among meteorologists, the media, emergency management agencies and the public.”
Naming tropical cyclones can also help maintain historical records, as well as research storm behavior and impacts, according to the WMO.
What is the difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane?
Hurricanes are more severe than tropical storms.
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According to National Weather ServiceA tropical cyclone is a tropical cyclone “with maximum surface winds of 39–73 mph (34 to 63 knots),” while a hurricane is “a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained surface winds of 74 mph or greater. (64). knots or more).”
Why are hurricane names retired?
According to National Hurricane Center (NHC), the name is only changed when a hurricane is “so deadly or costly that future use of its name would be inappropriate for obvious reasons of sensitivity.”
If this happens, the offending name is removed from the list and another name is chosen in its place at the annual committee meeting.
However, there are exceptions to this system. Before the first permanent six-year storm name list began in 1979, “some storm names are no longer used.”
According to the NHC, in 1966, the name “Fern” was substituted for “Frieda” without giving any reason.
According to CBS News, during a particularly bad hurricane season, multiple names can be retired each year.
What names are being used in 2024?
To National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2024 Atlantic tropical cyclone names include:
- Alberto
- Beryl
- Chris
- Debbie
- Ernesto
- Francine
- Gordon
- Helen
- Isaac
- Joyce
- Cancer
- Leslie
- Milton
- Nadine
- Oscar
- Patty
- Raphael
- good
- Tony
- Valerie
- William
as CNN According to reports, on the morning of July 1, 2024, Hurricane Beryl strengthened into a Category 4 storm.
As the hurricane passes through the Windward Islands, it is
“With life-threatening storm surge, violent winds and flash flooding, many island communities are at risk,” per the outlet.
It is the Windward Islands’ strongest hurricane in 20 years and has so far affected areas such as Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.