The hurricanes generate great concern in the world, just look at the devastation left Otis on the coast of Guerrero, Mexico, or remember episodes such as Katrina in 2005, which impacted the city of New Orleans, in the south of the USAWilma, also in 2005, which affected Quintana Roo, Mexico, western Cuba and the peninsula of Florida. But, beyond the damage they cause, a common question among society is who gives them their name.
Most people might believe that the same meteorologists who are in charge of monitoring these phenomena and predicting their impact are the ones who decide their name, but that is not the case. Although it may seem difficult to believe, these are achieved by international consensus and it is not a simple task.
Who names hurricanes in the United States and the world?
The name of the hurricanes It is decided jointly by various regional organizations responsible for said activity and the World Meteorological Organization, based in Geneva, according to the site specialized in meteorological information, Meteored.
The reason why people’s names are chosen, such as Otisis to avoid terms that could generate confusion and make the information that must reach the population at risk to stay safe more complicated.
As a curious fact, in the 19th century the name of the saints was used that corresponded to the day that the hurricane would make landfall. For example, October 4 is the day of Saint Francis of Assisi, according to the Catholic calendar, and in 1844 the hurricane that affected Cuba was baptized as the “Storm of San Francisco de Asís.” As it was not the most practical option, common names were chosen, but how are they chosen?
Meteored points out that the first to use a female name was the Australian meteorologist Clement Wragge at the end of the 19th century, although he also used names of mythological creatures and even politicians he did not like.
But in 1953 the importance of there being a consensus was understood and USA It was the pioneer country on the subject. Initially only women’s names were used, but in 1978 men’s names were added.
Currently the World Meteorological Organization and the Meteorological Service of USA They have lists with male and female names and they decide them for each letter of the alphabet, except Q, U, X, Y, Z which are uncommon. The names on the list come from Spanish, English and French, and the gender is altered.
These lists already contain the names of the next hurricanes and are recycled every six years. It is important to say that these phenomena are only named when they reach winds equal to or greater than 63 kilometers per hour, that is, when they become a tropical storm and, a possible hurricane.
National Geographic explains that when a hurricane causes a major impact in terms of loss of human life, the World Meteorological Organization is requested to remove it from the list. He also shares that a 2014 study conducted by the University of Illinois concluded that hurricanes with feminine names caused a greater number of victims because the population did not take them so seriously.
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