Tropical Cyclone Naming

WMO maintains rotating lists of appropriate names for each Tropical Cyclone basin. If a cyclone is particularly deadly or costly, its name is retired and replaced by another one.  

Tropical cyclones can last for a week or more; therefore, there can be more than one cyclone at a time. Weather forecasters give each tropical cyclone a name to avoid confusion. In general, tropical cyclones are named according to the rules at regional level. In the Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere (Indian Ocean and South Pacific), tropical cyclones receive names in alphabetical order, and women's and men's names are alternated. Nations in the Northern Indian Ocean began using a new system for naming tropical cyclones in 2000; the names are listed alphabetically country-wise and are neutral gender-wise.
The common rule is that the name list is proposed by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of WMO Members of a specific region, and approved by the respective tropical cyclone regional bodies at their annual/biennual sessions. 

The practice of naming storms (tropical cyclones) began years ago to help in the quick identification of storms in warning messages. Names are presumed to be far easier to remember than numbers and technical terms. Many agree that appending names to storms makes it easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones, heightens interest in warnings, and increases community preparedness.

Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive given names in written and spoken communications is quicker and less subject to error than the older, more cumbersome latitude-longitude identification methods. These advantages are especially important in exchanging detailed storm information between hundreds of widely scattered stations, coastal bases, and ships at sea.

In the beginning, storms were named arbitrarily. An Atlantic storm that ripped off the mast of a boat named Antje became known as Antje's hurricane. Then, in the mid-1900s, the practice of using feminine names for storms started.

In the pursuit of a more organized and efficient naming system, meteorologists later decided to identify storms using names from a list arranged alphabetically. Thus, a storm with a name beginning with A, like Anne, would be the first storm to occur in the year. Before the end of the 1900s, forecasters started using male names for those forming in the Southern Hemisphere.

Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The original name lists featured only women's names. In 1979, men's names were introduced, and they alternate with women's names. Six lists are used in rotation. Thus, the 2019 list will be used again in 2025.

The only time that there is a change in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name on a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that occurs, then at an annual meeting by the WMO Tropical Cyclone Committees (called primarily to discuss many other issues) the offending name is stricken from the list and another name is selected to replace it. Infamous storm names such as Mangkhut (Philippines, 2018), Irma and Maria (Caribbean, 2017), Haiyan (Philippines, 2013), Sandy (USA, 2012), Katrina (USA, 2005), Mitch (Honduras, 1998) and Tracy (Darwin, 1974) are examples for this.

Tropical Cyclone Names Worldwide

Tropical cyclones are named differently depending on where they occur around the world. Here’s a brief overview of how different regions name tropical cyclones:

1. North Atlantic, Central and Eastern North Pacific:

   • Names are chosen from pre-determined lists maintained by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
   • Names are alternated between male and female names and are used on a rotating basis.
   • The lists are reused every six years, but names of particularly deadly or costly storms can be retired.

2. Western North Pacific:

   • Names are chosen from a list of names contributed by countries in the region.
   • The names are used in a rotating order and are replaced if they are retired due to the storm being particularly devastating.

3. North Indian Ocean:

   • Names are selected from a list contributed by countries in the region, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and others.
   • The names are used in rotation, and there are multiple lists used alternately.

4. Southern Hemisphere (Australia, South-West Indian Ocean, South Pacific):

   • In the South-West Indian Ocean, names are chosen from a list maintained by the regional meteorological organization, including contributions from various countries.
   • The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has its list for the Australian region.
   • The South Pacific names are also chosen from lists contributed by countries in the region.

5. South Atlantic:

   • Tropical cyclones in the South Atlantic are relatively rare, but when they occur, they use names from a list prepared by the Brazilian meteorological service, INMET.

Each region follows its system and has its list of names, reflecting cultural and linguistic diversity.