The upcoming storm names for this season have been announced by the National Hurricane Center.
Since 1953, the National Hurricane Center has been naming tropical storms in the Atlantic, but these names are not solely for Atlantic storms.
Every year, six lists of names are rotated for naming tropical storms, with each list being updated, except for names of exceptionally devastating storms.
If a storm name needs to be changed, the decision falls on the WMO Region IV annual meeting members, who vote on removing and then choosing a new name.
Storm names are often reflective of the regions’ ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with names in the Atlantic basin commonly of English, Spanish, Portuguese, and some French origin.
The Storm Names for 2024
Until recently, the Greek alphabet was used for naming storms when traditional names ran out or were deemed unsuitable. The Greek alphabet was notably used heavily in 2020 due to the high number of storms.
In 2021, the use of the Greek alphabet for storm names was discontinued, and additional lists were created for Atlantic and Pacific storms.
Storm naming rules differ between regions, with gender-neutral names used in the North West Pacific Ocean and North Indian Ocean Region, where names are never reused.
Interestingly, the first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Alberto, did not appear for the first time in a decade this year.
Though this season started later than usual, beginning with Hurricane Arthur in Florida, late starts are not entirely uncommon, according to The Weather Channel.
Forecasts suggest an active hurricane season due to factors like high temperatures across the Atlantic Ocean and La Nina in the Pacific, with NOAA predicting 17 to 25 named storms, including 4 to 7 major hurricanes.