Who gives hurricanes human names and why. Interesting facts

Every year, hurricanes kill thousands of people and cause millions of dollars in property damage. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) gives names to the most destructive cyclones to help recognize them.

But where did this tradition come from? Why did hurricanes start to be called by human names? OBOZ.UA has collected interesting facts for you.

The procedure for using names is determined for years in advance by the WMO. The organization keeps six lists of 21 names in alphabetical order, which change every six years. The only exceptions are 5 letters that are not used – Q, U, X, Y, and Z. They were excluded because of the rarity of such names. Also, the names that have already been used for the most powerful hurricanes that have caused too much damage are removed from the lists. Experts say that the repeated use of such a name can cause a painful effect on people.

Why do hurricanes need to be named?

First of all, names are given to facilitate communication. Unnamed hurricanes would make life very difficult for meteorologists, researchers, ship captains, rescuers, and ordinary people.

Who decided to call hurricanes by common names

In 1950, the United Nations founded the WMO, and three years later, the agency decided to use common names. This greatly simplifies the tracking of hurricanes and the transmission of information about them to the public.

Initially, tropical storms and hurricanes were given only female names. This practice was borrowed from the military's phonetic alphabet. However, feminists in the 1960s objected to the use of female names for destructive natural disasters. Therefore, the WMO began using both female and male names.

What were hurricanes called before they were named?

The first person to name hurricanes was the English meteorologist Clement Reggie in the early 20th century. Before that, storms were named by geographic location or intensity: The Great Hurricane of 1722, the Galveston Storm of 1900, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, and so on. Initially, the meteorologist named hurricanes with letters of the Greek alphabet or names of monsters from Greek and Roman mythology. Later, he began to use the names of local politicians who refused to vote for loans for meteorological research.

There was also a well-known practice of naming hurricanes after saints or using a name associated with the shape of the hurricane. Thus, the first document about the named tropical storm that hit Puerto Rico is the hurricane San Roque, which hit the southwestern part of the island in August 1508. On July 26, 1825, Puerto Rico was hit by a hurricane named St. Anna. Or the Pinhead hurricane in 1935, which was named for its shape.

How many names are in the list

Since there are 26 letters in the English alphabet, and 5 of them are not used, due to the rarity of names with these letters, the lists consist of 21 names. The names are used in alphabetical order: the first hurricane of the season is named after a name that begins with A, the second – B, and so on.

What if the names end in

If the number of named storms exceeds 21, the WMO uses its supplemental list of names. Previously, the organization used the Greek alphabet to designate tropical storms when their list of names ran out. Hurricanes were given the names Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and others. But in 2021, the system was changed due to confusion because the letters Zeta, Eta, and Theta sounded too similar.

How many names have already been used in 2024

Hurricane Milton is currently raging in the United States. This is the 13th name on the list to be used in 2024. There have already been hurricanes with the names Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debbie, Ernesto, Francine, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, and Leslie.

According to meteorologists' forecasts, this year there is a high probability that the number of named storms may exceed the WMO list. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted as many as 25 named storms in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

How many names will no longer be used for hurricanes

The names of the most powerful hurricanes that caused a large number of deaths and damage are being dropped. Among them are the following: Harvey, Maria, and Irma in 2017, Sandy in 2012, Katrina in 2005, Frances in 2004, Andrew in 1992, and Hugo in 1989. These storms are remembered not only for their immediate destruction and loss of life but also for their long-term impact on communities and infrastructure.

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