For many months, years and even centuries, hurricanes have been baptized with the name of the saint of the day in which they took place. For example, Santa Ana in Puerto Rico in 1825.
It was in 1953 when the National Hurricane Center decided to name them with the names of women until 1978 when male names began to be included. Shortly after, the World Meteorological Organization and the US Meteorological Service decided to alternate the names of women and men.
But, why use proper names? Because it is very easy at the level of written and spoken communication.
Curiosities
1- Each year a list is prepared with the names that hurricanes will receive during those 365 days.
2- The lists are prepared by zones.
3- Each list is repeated every 4, 6 or 8 years, depending on where the hurricane takes place.
4- This list includes a name for each letter of the alphabet, alternating the feminine with the masculine ones.
5- The names are given in three languages: English, Spanish and French.
6- When a hurricane is very destructive its name is removed from the list for 10 years and replaced by another to avoid confusion.
7- The lists contain maximum:
21 names for the Atlantic
24 for the Northeast Pacific
12 for the Central Pacific
2 for each territory of the Western Pacific
1 for each territory of the North Indian Ocean
8- In the Atlantic, if the maximum established is exceeded, the list continues with the Greek alphabet.
List of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Arlene | Alberto | Andrea | Arthur | Ana | Alex |
| Bret | Beryl | Barry | Bertha | Bill | Bonnie |
| Cindy | Chris | Chantal | Cristobal | Claudette | Colin |
| Don | Debby | Dorian | Dolly | Danny | Danielle |
| Emily | Ernesto | Erin | Edouard | Elsa | Earl |
| Franklin | Florence | Fernand | Fay | Fred | Fiona |
| Gert | Gordon | Gabrielle | Gonzalo | Grace | Gaston |
| Harvey | Helene | Humberto | Hanna | Henri | Hermine |
| Irma | Isaac | Imelda | Isaias | Ida | Ian |
| Jose | Joyce | Jerry | Josephine | Julian | Julia |
| Katia | Kirk | Karen | Kyle | Kate | Karl |
| Lee | Leslie | Lorenzo | Laura | Larry | Lisa |
| Maria | Michael | Melissa | Marco | Mindy | Martin |
| Nate | Nadine | Nestor | Nana | Nicholas | Nicole |
| Ophelia | Oscar | Olga | Omar | Odette | Owen |
| Philippe | Patty | Pablo | Paulette | Peter | Paula |
| Rina | Rafael | Rebekah | Rene | Rose | Richard |
| Sean | Sara | Sebastien | Sally | Sam | Shary |
| Tammy | Tony | Tanya | Teddy | Teresa | Tobias |
| Vince | Valerie | Van | Vicky | Victor | Virginie |
| Whitney | William | Wendy | Wilfred | Wanda | Walter |
Reference:
NOAA
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