Hurricane Rita

[mrs p]

Just returned from America, where news included reports on hurricanes Katrina, Ophelia and Rita. What happend to hurricanes L, M, N and P?

[gen2]

There never were any hurricanes L, M, N, or P.
The names are allocated whenever a depression grows powerful enough to be classified as a tropical storm.  Tropical storms Lee, Maria, Nate and Philippe never developed any further and so didn't become hurricanes.

To be classified as a hurricane, sustained wind speeds must be greater than 118 kilometers per hour at the storm's center.

[mrs p]

Got it. Thanks for a clear explanation!

[mrs p]

10clarionst: I looked up the website, and it's really interesting. Another useful collection of information ... thanks.