Why we name tropical storms and hurricanes

June 1 marks the official start of hurricane season and many will be on the lookout for named storms in the coming months. But why do we give these storms names?

Hurricane season is just around the corner and Weather & Radar has the latest information. You can read more about NOAA's forecast for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season at the link below.

This year is expected to have above-average activity, which means we will likely go through many of the names on the list. But have you ever wondered why we give tropical storms and hurricanes names?

The practice of naming hurricanes started in the early 1950s, initially using a phonetic alphabet and then shifting to using women’s names. By 1979, the lists began to include both male and female names. There are a few reasons why names are used.

First, human names are easy to remember and allow for quick and easy communication. Second, naming storms also prevents confusion when there are multiple active storms at one time (a very possible situation this year). Names also make it easier to alert the public of the danger and keep up with past storms in a historical context.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) manages the lists of hurricane names for both the Pacific and the Atlantic. The WMO maintains rotating lists of names and retires the names associated with particularly powerful or deadly storms. Weather & Radar's expert meteorologists are ready for this season, check in with us often for the latest tropical updates.