Hurricane and Tropical Storm names

Names of hurricanes and tropical storms.

Every hurricane or Atlantic tropical storm is given a name from a list which is maintained by the National Hurricane Center in the USA. There are six different lists, each containing twenty-one names beginning with every letter of the alphabet except for Q, U, X, Y and Z.

The lists are used in rotation, repeating every six years, with the first storm of a year being given a name starting with 'A', the second 'B' and so on. Hurricane names alternate in gender - male, female, male, female, etc.

Names of particularly destructive hurricanes are generally removed from the list and replaced with a new name, beginning with the same letter, to be used six years later.

For example, after hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, the name 'Katrina' was retired and replaced with the name 'Katia', which was used in 2011 and will be re-used in 2017.

Names of hurricanes and Atlantic tropical storms between 1999 and 2019

1999, 2005, 2011, 2017 2000, 2006, 2012, 2018 2001, 2007, 2013, 2019
ArleneAlbertoAllison(01)
Andrea
BretBerylBarry
CindyChrisChantal
Dennis(05)
Don
DebbyDean(07)
Dorian
EmilyErnestoErin
Floyd(99)
Franklin
FlorenceFelix(07)
Fernand
GertGordonGabrielle
HarveyHeleneHumberto
Irene(11)
Irma
IsaacIris(01)
Ingrid
JoseJoyceJerry
Katrina(05)
Katia
Keith(00)
Kirk
Karen
Lenny(99)
Lee
LeslieLorenzo
MariaMichaelMichelle(01)
Melissa
NateNadineNoel(07)
Nestor
OpheliaOscarOlga
PhilippePattyPablo
Rita(05)
Rina
RafaelRebekah
Stan(05)
Sean
SandySebastien
TammyTonyTanya
VinceValerieVan
Wilma(05)
Whitney
WilliamWendy
2002, 2008, 2014 2003, 2009, 2015 2004, 2010, 2016
ArthurAnaAlex
BerthaBillBonnie
CristobalClaudetteCharley(04)
Colin
DollyDannyDanielle
EdouardErikaEarl
FayFabian(03)
Fred
Frances(04)
Fiona
Gustav(08)
Gonzalo
GraceGaston
HannaHenriHermine
Isidore(02)
Ike(08)
Isaias
Isabel(03)
Ida
Ivan(04)
Igor(10)
Ian
JosephineJuan(03)
Joaquin
Jeanne(04)
Julia
KyleKateKarl
Lili(02)
Laura
LarryLisa
MarcoMindyMatthew
NanaNicholasNicole
OmarOdetteOtto
Paloma(08)
Paulette
PeterPaula
ReneRoseRichard
SallySamShary
TeddyTeresaTomas(10)
Tobias
VickyVictorVirginie
WilfredWandaWalter

Typhoon names

Typhoons, which occur in the Pacific rather than the Atlantic ocean, have a different and more complex naming system. This is largely due to the number of different countries, with different languages and cultures, that can be affected by each storm.

The allocated identifiers are a mixture of names, animals, plants, astrological signs, mythological figures, etc., in various languages. They are not ordered alphabetically. For this reason, it is more usual to refer to typhoons primarily by a four-digit identifier indicating the year and a sequential number - for example 1405 would be the fifth typhoon in the year 2014 - optionally followed by the name.

Some typhoon names include: Damrey, Fengshen, Nanmadol, Dolphin, Kai-tak, Wutip, Saola