Tropical Cyclone Naming

Tropical Cyclone Naming

Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more than one can occur in the same region at the same time. The official practice of naming tropical cyclones started in 1945 within the Western Pacific and was gradually extended out until 2004, when the India Meteorological Department started to name cyclonic storms within the North Indian ocean. Before the official practice of naming of tropical cyclones began, significant tropical cyclones were named after annoying politicians, mythological creatures, saints and place names. Names are drawn in order from predetermined lists (see Lists of tropical cyclone names) and are usually assigned to tropical cyclones with one, three, or ten minute sustained wind speeds of more than 65 km/h (40 mph) depending on which area it originates. However, standards vary from basin to basin with some tropical depressions named in the Western Pacific, while within the Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclones have to have a significant amount of gale-force winds occurring around the center before they are named.