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How do winds get their names?

Updated: 8/10/2023
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15y ago

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by were they come from

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Eino Rolfson

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1y ago
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7y ago

Since 1950, meteorologists have been assigning names to all hurricanes and tropical storms that form in the western North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. (A tropical storm is weaker than a hurricane and has maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hour [63 to 117 kilometers per hour].) They have been naming eastern Pacific storms since 1959.

Names are assigned in advance for six-year cycles. The names are suggested by countries that lie in the path of hurricanes. The names must be approved by the Region 4 Hurricane Committee of the World Meteorological Organization, which is made up of representatives of countries affected by hurricanes. Once a tropical storm develops, staff members at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida automatically assign it the next name on the list.

The Atlantic is assigned six lists of names, with one list used each year. Every sixth year, the first list begins again. The six lists are set up so the odd-numbered lists start with male names, and the even-numbered lists start with female names. Each name on the list starts with a different letter, for example, the name of the very first hurricane of the season starts with the letter A, the next starts with the letter B, and so on. The letters "Q", "U", "X", "Y" and "Z", however, are not used. If the previous hurricane of that certain name, for example, Katrina, is devastating, the name will be retired and no longer used again. There will never be another "Hurricane Andrew" or "Hurricane Fran" , either.

In the Pacific, they do things differently: they have four lists of Hawaiian names, and they don't reset it at the beginning of the storm season--the first storm of this year's Pacific storm season could get an H name if the last storm of last year's season had a E name using the Hawaiian alphabet. As in the Atlantic, very devastating storms have their names retired.

The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML)'s site explains that the first use of a proper name for a tropical cyclone was by an Australian forecaster early in the 20th century. He gave tropical cyclone names "after political figures whom he disliked. By properly naming a hurricane, the weatherman could publicly describe a politician (who perhaps was not too generous with weather-bureau appropriations) as 'causing great distress' or 'wandering aimlessly about the Pacific.'" During World War II, US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists named Pacific storms after their girlfriends or wives. You'll have to decide for yourself whether the women were happy with having terrible cyclones named after them! From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones, including hurricanes in the North Atlantic Ocean, were identified by the standard radio names: Able; Baker; Charlie;... etc., but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched back to women's names. Then, in a politically correct move in 1979, the WMO and the US National Weather Service (NWS) added men's names.

Why name hurricanes at all?

Names just make it easier to talk about the storms and warn people about the dangerous ones. During peak hurricane season in late summer, there may be several storms heading in the same direction at the same time. If each one has a name, it makes talking about the storms easier and less confusing. Since the name list started in 1950, the furthest they have gone down the list has been in recording-breaking year of 2005, the first season to use "V" and "W" names. In fact, after using up all 21 names, forecasters resorted to using letters from the Greek alphabet for the first time, dubbing the last storms of that year Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Zeta.

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Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

How are Winds are named?

A wind is meteorology classified as the direction whence it originates. A west wind blows east. Many winds are names from a region that they originate such as desert winds, tropic winds and nor'easters. Other winds were nicknamed by sailors who used these winds to make a living. Trade winds were constant winds that made trading ships more efficient. Doldrums are the rising winds near the equator that move a ship slowly, thus the depressing name. See the related link for more information.


What are Winds in the high latitudes that flow out of the Arctic and Antarctic regions?

In Antarctica, the winds are known as Katabatic winds. In the Arctic, the winds are known as Squamish winds.


Are doldrums characterized by weak winds or strong winds?

weak winds because doldrums are calm winds on the earth.


Which winds are not planetary winds?

Planetary winds are any winds that occur because of solar radiation. They are in direct correlation to the rotation of the earth. Planetary winds do not blow directly north or south.


What were winds between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south known as?

The Answer Is NOT trade winds

Related questions

What are the main winds in Ireland?

The prevailing winds in Ireland are west and south west, though Ireland can get winds from all directions. There are no special names for the winds in Ireland.


What are the names of prevailing winds in New York State?

west


Names of the earth's major pressure belts?

Prevailing winds Easterlies


Who were the four winds of greece?

The winds didn't have official names -- they were just North Wind, East Wind, South Wind, and West Wind.


Names of all the ships in the Spode Trade Winds china?

thomas coutts


How are Winds are named?

A wind is meteorology classified as the direction whence it originates. A west wind blows east. Many winds are names from a region that they originate such as desert winds, tropic winds and nor'easters. Other winds were nicknamed by sailors who used these winds to make a living. Trade winds were constant winds that made trading ships more efficient. Doldrums are the rising winds near the equator that move a ship slowly, thus the depressing name. See the related link for more information.


What are the winds causing snow storm named?

blizzards artic air cold front "Northerner" or "North Eastener" Each local area has different names for the cold air that blows winds into their area.


When do hurricans get their names?

When it becomes a tropical storm (sustained winds of 39 mph). The storm does not become a hurricane until winds reach 74 mph. About half of all tropical storms become hurricanes.


What is the plural of wind?

winds ex: northern winds southern winds eastern winds western winds


Does a tornado have 120 kmhour counterclock wise winds?

That would be a hurricane, with winds of at least 120 km/h, counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, though they go by different names in the southern hemisphere where they rotate clockwise. A tornado generally has counterclockwise winds in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern in the northern hemisphere and winds can be 120 km/h, but they can range from 105km/h to over 480km/h.


How many syllables does winds have?

winds has 1 syllable -*winds-* clap it winds


What are the names of the 3 global wind belts?

Polar Easterlies: From 60-90 degrees latitude.Prevailing Westerlies: From 30-60 degrees latitude (aka Westerlies).Tropical Easterlies: From 0-30 degrees latitude (aka Trade Winds).The three major global wind belts are the trade winds, the polar easterlies, and the prevailing westerliesHope this helped~Zadr