Can I ask the National Weather Service to name a hurricane after me?
It’s June and you know what that means: it’s hurricane season.
The season begins on June 1 and ends roughly around Nov. 30th.
According to forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, hurricane activity should be near normal in 2023, as compared to previous years.
Forecasters predict a 40% chance of a near-normal season and with the El Nino this season, temperatures will be above average in the Atlantic Ocean.
There are currently 21 named cyclone storms expected in 2023:
12-17 tropical storms
5-9 hurricanes
1-4 major hurricanes
Wondering what the names are and if yours is on the list? Here they are:
- Arlene
- Bret
- Cindy
- Don
- Emily
- Franklin
- Gert
- Harold
- Idalia
- Jose
- Katia
- Lee
- Margot
- Nigel
- Ophelia
- Philippe
- Rina
- Sean
- Tammy
- Vince
- Whitney
So, how does the Hurricane Center come up with the names?
Here’s what they do:
It all started in 1953. That’s when the National Hurricane Center started naming each tropical storm. The list is now updated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and follows a strict procedure.
The WMO makes six lists of names and divides them up into years. Currently there are 6 lists of 21 names each and are labeled for years 2023-2028.
In 2029, the same names will be divided up again.
If there are more than 21 storms in a year, the WMO will take names from an alternate list that has been previously approved.
The only exception to replacing a name in the list is if a storm is so deadly or costly that the future use of its name for a different storm would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. If that happens, the name is retired from the list.
Here’s a list of some names that have been retired:
Andrew (1992)
Betsy (1965)
Irene (2011)
Sandy (2012)
Katrina (2005)
Ian (2022)
Anita (1977)
Matthew (2016)
A full list of retired names and years can be found online.
Can you have a hurricane named for you?
Short answer: no.
Even if you asked the National Hurricane Center nicely, they can’t control the list of names. It’s strictly up to the WMO and they don’t take requests.
What are your predictions and thoughts about the upcoming hurricane season? Comment below and let us know.
