The World Meteorological Organization has locked in 21 names ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season.
A group of meteorologists chooses the names of tropical storms before the hurricane season begins. Not all names will be used in a season, depending on how many tropical storms occur.
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The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 and tropical cyclones are given names in alphabetical order, with women and men's names alternated. The list rotates every six years, meaning the 2023 list will make a reappearance in 2029.
When a storm is “deadly” or “costly,” says the National Hurricane Center, the storm’s name is stricken from the list and retired.
In 2022, Ian and Fiona were retired because of the death and damage they caused. Last September, Hurricane Fiona hit the Caribbean and Canada and caused more than US$3 billion in damage and 29 indirect and direct fatalities.
Hurricane Ian hit western Cuba as a major hurricane and southwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm, causing 161 direct and indirect deaths and more than US$112 billion in damage in the U.S. A monetary damage estimate for Cuba was not included in a National Hurricane Center report on the storm.
During the 2028 hurricane season, the names Ian and Fiona will be replaced by Idris and Farrah.
While the lists are primarily used during hurricane season, if a storm happens during the off-season, the next name in the list based on the current calendar date is used.
The majority of this year's list of 21 names are familiar, but four names used in 2017 have been retired: Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate. New names starting with H, I, M and N have been chosen for 2023.
Here is the list of 2023 Atlantic hurricane season names:
Arlene
Bret
Cindy
Don
Emily
Franklin
Gert
Harold
Idalia
Jose
Katia
Lee
Margot
Nigel
Ophelia
Philippe
Rina
Sean
Tammy
Vince
Whitney
WHY ARE HURRICANES NAMED?
According to the National Hurricane Center, tropical storms are given names because they are easily remembered and it reduces confusion when two or more storms occur at the same time.
Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists created by the National Hurricane Center since 1953. An international committee from the World Meteorological Organization now maintains and updates these lists.
With files from the Associated Press
