With the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season upon us, now is a good time to review the list of names that will be used throughout the six-month season.
Hurricane season officially begins June 1, and federal forecasters have predicted an “above-average” season, with as many as 20 named storms forming. Of those 20, as many as 10 are forecast to be hurricanes. (An average season has 14 named storms, of which 7 are hurricanes.)
A tropical storm gets a name when its sustained winds reach 39 mph; it becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), based in Geneva, Switzerland, chooses hurricane names several years in advance, based on a strict criteria. If a hurricane is particularly deadly or costly, then its name is “retired” by the WMO and replaced by another one.
Here is the list of names for the 2021 season:
- Ana
- Bill
- Claudette
- Danny
- Elsa
- Fred
- Grace
- Henri
- Ida
- Julian
- Kate
- Larry
- Mindy
- Nicholas
- Odette
- Peter
- Rose
- Sam
- Teresa
- Victor
- Wanda