This satellite image shows Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean Sea, Tropical Storm Jose in the Atlantic Ocean, and Tropical Storm Katia in the Gulf of Mexico in September 2017.
WHO NAMES
Hurricanes? Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold.
How do hurricanes get their names? Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about naming hurricanes and tropical storms1.
4.4
A: No, it doesn’t. It uses six lists of names. Every six years, the WMO uses the same list as before. The 2011 list and the 2017 list are the
Q: Who names hurricanes?
same. The 2013 list and the 2019 list are the
A: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
same.
names hurricanes and tropical storms.
Q: Some storms are very serious and deadly2,
Q: When does a storm get a name?
like Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or Hurricane
A: It gets a name when its winds reach 39 mph.
Maria in 2017. What does the WMO do with
Q: What kind of names does the WMO use?
those names?
A: It uses both men’s and women’s names. The
A: The WMO doesn’t use those names again.
first storm of the year begins with an A. The
A committee3 chooses a new name for that
next storm begins with a B, and the next one
letter of the alphabet.
begins with a C. If the first storm has a woman’s
Q: What name takes the place of Maria?
name, the next storm has a man’s name.
A: Margot takes the place of Maria.
Q: Why does the WMO use names? A: Names are easy to remember. Q: Do Atlantic and Pacific storms have the same names?
1 2 3
tropical storm: heavy rains with high wind deadly: so dangerous as to cause death committee: a group of people organized for a purpose
A: No, they don’t. Q: Does the WMO use the same list of names every year? 102
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