Lists of Tropical Cyclone Names - North Atlantic

North Atlantic

Within the North Atlantic ocean, tropical or subtropical cyclones are named by the National Hurricane Center (NHC/RSMC Miami) when they are judged to have intensified into a tropical storm with winds of at least 65 km/h, (40 mph). Six lists of names, alternating between masculine and feminine, are used in alphabetical order, and maintained by the World Meteorological Organization with them rotating on a yearly basis. Significant tropical cyclones have their names retired from the lists with a replacement name selected at the next World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Regional Association IV Hurricane Committee meeting. If all of the names on a list are used, storms are named after the letters of the Greek alphabet (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, etc.). Greek names, unlike the names in the regular lists, cannot be retired. If a storm ever reached the magnitude that might otherwise have led to retirement, the storm would be listed with the retired names with a footnote indicating the Greek letter would still be available for future storms.