Hurricane names

[Eastender]

Hi, after the last hurricane, Katrina.  Why is the next one called Rita? I thought the names went in boy, girl order, and alphabet order? cheers

[brassmonkey]

there have actually been several storms since Katrina,  they just didn't make the news as they never touched any land.

The names of hurricanes are taken from a set list which rotates on a six-yearly cycle.  Sorry,  I don't know if they alternate between boys and girls names.

[newtron]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Science/Question144920.html

On this question, gen2 lists the names of the tropical storms, and it does look like they alternate between boy and girl names:  Katrina, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philippe, and Rita.  Hey, where's "Q"?  I guess it is too hard to find a name that begins with "Q". 

[Clanad]

The names for tropical storms (they may not achieve hurricane status) for 2005 since Katrina are:

Katrina
Lee
Maria
Nate
Ophelia
Philippe
Rita

This is just for the Atlantic storms.  This link will show you all the names for all the areas of the world:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

[louadams6]

heres an explanation of why hurricanes are named and theres a link to click on that gives you the names for this year and several other years http://www.fema.gov/kids/hunames.htm

If you click on this link http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/custom/sfl-inttrackmap,0,1486873.htmlstory its a online tracking map of storms (current and past)

[Eastender]

Thanks for all your input.

[jno]

they go on a six-year rota, so they'd need to find 6 names beginning with Q; and they couldn't. Same with U, X and Z. So they may have to start using Greek letters if they get to the end of the Roman alphabet before the end of the hurricane season.

[paul4469]

Hurricane Phillippe which is officially now a tropical storm is battering Bermuda as we speak - it just hasnt made the news as widely as the devastating Hurricane Rita or katrina before it - obviously Lee Maria Nate and Ophelia didnt do anywhere near so much damage to any notable society

[january_bug]

They'd all be called Quincy and Quebec I guess! :-p

[LauraLou]

Each time a hurricane devestates an area or kills lots of people they remove the name and don't use it again, that's why there's gaps. I don't know what the exactlevel of devastation has to be to get removed though.

[newtron]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question145401.html