Who names hurricanes. Who names hurricanes and how? The naming system in Russia

The hurricane, considered the most powerful in 12 years, claimed the lives of at least 5 Americans. The exact number of victims and material damage will be announced in a few days. In the meantime, we cite the losses of the United States as a result of the most destructive hurricanes in the past 20 years.

Many of these hurricanes will not recur, if only because, by tradition, the US National Hurricane Center deletes from the register of names the names that received the most destructive hurricanes.

Express info by country

USA(USA) is a state in North America.

Capital- Washington

Largest cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Philadelphia, Boston, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas

Form of government- Presidential republic

Territory- 9 519 431 km 2 (4th in the world)

Population- 321.26 million people (3rd in the world)

Official language- American English

Religion- Protestantism, Catholicism

HDI- 0.915 (8th in the world)

Gdp- $ 17.419 trillion (1st in the world)

Currency- U.S. dollar

Bordered by: Canada, Mexico

Hurricane Hugo, 1989

"Hugo" took place in September 1989 over the northern Caribbean and the east coast of the United States. He was awarded the fifth, highest category on the hurricane scale. The maximum wind speed is 365 km / h. The number of victims has not yet been established. The figures are from 47 to 86 people. At the time, it was the most destructive hurricane on record. The amount of damage was $ 10 billion (hereinafter at the prices of that time).

Hurricane Andrew 1992

Hurricane Andrew in August 1992 swept through the northwestern Bahamas, southern Florida, and southwestern Louisiana. Assigned to category 5, wind speed - 285 km / h. Killed 65 people, the amount of damage - $ 26.5 billion. In destructive power surpassed the "Hugo" and until 2005 retained the status of the most destructive hurricane in America.

Hurricane Opal, 1995

In late September and early October 1995, Hurricane Opal devastated Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. Developed up to category 4, wind speed - 240 km / h. 63 people died, damage amounted to $ 5.1 billion.

Hurricane Floyd 1999

Swept over the east coast of the United States in September 1999. Assigned to category 4, wind speed - 250 km / h. 87 people died. The damage amounted to $ 6.9 billion.

Tropical storm "Alison", 2001

Alison, which arrived in Texas in June 2001, did not have hurricane status. With a wind speed of 95 km / h, it brought destruction in the form of abnormal precipitation. In Houston, many houses have sunk under water with a roof. As a result, 55 dead, damage - $ 9 billion.

Hurricane Isabel, 2003

In September 2003, more than 10 states were affected, including New York. Reached the 5th category with a wind speed of 270 km / h. The hurricane uprooted thousands of trees and cut power lines along its route, leaving more than six million people without electricity. In North Carolina, a huge wave of Hurricane Isabelle washed away part of Hatteras Island, transforming it into what is now called Isabelle Cove. 51 people died, the amount of damage was $ 3.6 billion.

Hurricane Charlie, 2004

A Category 5 hurricane in August 2004 caused massive damage to Florida, North and South Carolina. At a speed of 240 km / h, it was assigned the 5th category. In some localities, all buildings were destroyed. 35 people died, the damage amounted to $ 16, 3 billion.

Hurricane "Ivan", 2004

Formed in September 2004, affecting Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and the eastern United States. At a wind speed of 270 km / h (category 5), it killed 25 Americans and caused damage of $ 18 billion.

Hurricane Francis 2004

Having formed just three weeks after Hurricane Charlie, Francis hit Florida again in September 2004. Awarded to the 4th category at a wind speed of 230 km / h. 50 people died, damage amounted to $ 9.8 billion.

Hurricane Wilma, 2005

Hurricane Wilma raged in October 2005. Wind speeds reached 295 km / h (category 5), causing great damage in Florida. The hurricane killed at least 62 people, and the losses amounted to $ 21 billion.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

The most devastating hurricane in US history. The wind speed reached 280 km / h (category 5), but the main damage was caused by floods. The most severe damage was caused to New Orleans in Louisiana, where about 80% of the city's area was under water. The states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were also affected. As a result of the natural disaster, 1,836 residents were killed, and the economic damage amounted to $ 125 billion.

Hurricane Rita, 2005

Hurricane Rita formed in September 2005. The wind speed reached 285 km / h (category 5). The states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida were affected. The death toll is estimated at 97 - 125 people. The damage amounted to $ 12 billion.

Hurricane Ike, 2008

Hurricane Ike formed in September 2008 and reached the southeast coast at a speed of 235 km / h (Category 4). Affected North Carolina and Texas. A hurricane destroyed the town of Galveston, Texas. The number of victims reached 195, the damage - $ 29.5 billion.

Hurricane Irene, 2011

Hurricane Irene began in August 2011 and affected a wide area from Florida to New York and Connecticut. The wind speed was 195 km / h (category 3). In America, 45 people died, damage amounted to $ 10 billion.

Hurricane Sandy 2012

The hurricane that affected the east coast of the United States in October 2012 reached Category 3 (wind speed 175 km / h). The most severe damage was caused to the northeastern states, in particular New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. 73 people died, damage amounted to $ 65 billion.

It is customary to give names to hurricanes. This is done in order not to confuse them, especially when several tropical cyclones operate in the same area of ​​the world, so that there are no misunderstandings in weather forecasting, in the issuance of storm alerts and warnings.

Before the first system of naming hurricanes, hurricanes got their names randomly and haphazardly. Sometimes the hurricane was named after the saint, on the day of which the disaster occurred. For example, hurricane Santa Anna got its name, which reached the city of Puerto Rico on July 26, 1825, on the day of St. Anna. The name could be given for the area that suffered from the elements the most. Sometimes the name was determined by the very form of the development of the hurricane. So, for example, hurricane "Pin" No. 4 got its name in 1935, the shape of the trajectory of which resembled the aforementioned object.

There is an original method of naming hurricanes, invented by Australian meteorologist Clement Rugg: he called typhoons after members of parliament who refused to vote for the allocation of loans for meteorological research.

The names of cyclones became widespread during the Second World War. US Air and Navy meteorologists monitored typhoons in the Pacific Northwest. To avoid confusion, military meteorologists named typhoons after their wives or girlfriends. After the war, the US National Weather Service compiled an alphabetical list of female names. The main idea behind this list is to use short, simple and easy-to-remember names.

By 1950, the first hurricane naming system had appeared. First, they chose the phonetic army alphabet, and in 1953 they decided to return to female names. Subsequently, the assignment of female names to hurricanes entered the system and was extended to other tropical cyclones - to the Pacific typhoons, storms in the Indian Ocean, the Timor Sea and the northwest coast of Australia. The naming procedure itself had to be streamlined. So, the first hurricane of the year began to be called a woman's name, starting with the first letter of the alphabet, the second - with the second, etc. The names were chosen short, which are easy to pronounce and easy to remember. For typhoons, there was a list of 84 female names. In 1979, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in conjunction with the US National Weather Service, expanded this list to include male names as well.

Since there are several basins where hurricanes are formed, there are also several lists of names. For Atlantic Basin hurricanes, there are 6 alphabetical lists, each of 21 names, which are used for 6 consecutive years and then repeated. If there are more than 21 Atlantic hurricanes in a year, the Greek alphabet will be used.

In the event that a typhoon is particularly destructive, the name assigned to it is deleted from the list and replaced by another. So the name Katrina was permanently deleted from the list of meteorologists.

In the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, the names of animals, flowers, trees and even products are in store for typhoons: Nakri, Yufung, Kanmuri, Kopu. The Japanese refused to give deadly typhoons female names, because women there are considered gentle and quiet creatures. And the tropical cyclones of the northern Indian Ocean remain unnamed.

Hundreds of tornadoes, typhoons, tornadoes and hurricanes sweep the planet every year. And on television or radio, we often come across disturbing messages telling that the elements are raging somewhere on the planet. Hurricanes and typhoons are always referred to by reporters by female names. Where did this tradition come from? We will try to figure it out.

It is customary to give names to hurricanes. This is done in order not to confuse them, especially when several tropical cyclones operate in the same area of ​​the world, so that there are no misunderstandings in weather forecasting, in the issuance of storm alerts and warnings.

Before the first system of naming hurricanes, hurricanes got their names randomly and haphazardly. Sometimes the hurricane was named after the saint, on the day of which the disaster occurred. For example, hurricane Santa Anna got its name, which reached the city of Puerto Rico on July 26, 1825, on the day of St. Anna. The name could be given for the area that suffered from the elements the most. Sometimes the name was determined by the very form of the development of the hurricane. So, for example, hurricane "Pin" No. 4 got its name in 1935, the shape of the trajectory of which resembled the aforementioned object.

There is an original method of naming hurricanes, invented by Australian meteorologist Clement Rugg: he called typhoons after members of parliament who refused to vote for the allocation of loans for meteorological research.

The names of cyclones became widespread during the Second World War. US Air and Navy meteorologists monitored typhoons in the Pacific Northwest. To avoid confusion, military meteorologists named typhoons after their wives or mother-in-law. After the war, the US National Weather Service compiled an alphabetical list of female names. The main idea behind this list is to use short, simple and easy-to-remember names.

By 1950, the first hurricane naming system had appeared. First, they chose the phonetic army alphabet, and in 1953 they decided to return to FEMALE NAMES. Subsequently, the assignment of female names to hurricanes entered the system and was extended to other tropical cyclones - to the Pacific typhoons, storms in the Indian Ocean, the Timor Sea and the northwest coast of Australia.

The naming procedure itself had to be streamlined. So, the first hurricane of the year began to be called a woman's name, starting with the first letter of the alphabet, the second - with the second, etc. The names were chosen short, which are easy to pronounce and easy to remember. For typhoons, there was a list of 84 female names. In 1979, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in conjunction with the US National Weather Service, expanded this list to include male names as well.

Since there are several basins where hurricanes are formed, there are also several lists of names. For Atlantic Basin hurricanes, there are 6 alphabetical lists, each of 21 names, which are used for 6 consecutive years and then repeated. If there are more than 21 Atlantic hurricanes in a year, the Greek alphabet will be used.

In the event that a typhoon is particularly destructive, the name assigned to it is deleted from the list and replaced by another. Thus, the name KATRINA was permanently deleted from the list of meteorologists.

In the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, the names of animals, flowers, trees and even products are in store for typhoons: Nakri, Yufung, Kanmuri, Kopu. The Japanese refused to give deadly typhoons female names, because women there are considered gentle and quiet creatures. And the tropical cyclones of the northern Indian Ocean remain unnamed.

From St. Philip to Harvey, Irma and the Russian cyclone Artemia.

To bookmarks

Photo by Reuters

In September 2017, the US was hit by the powerful hurricanes Harvey and Irma. They got their own names, as do dozens of tropical cyclones every year. Such a system helps to quickly remember and recognize a particular weather hazard: short female and male names are used by the media and warning services instead of coordinates.

According to experts, the names help better prepare for hurricanes. And meteorological organizations have developed lists of names and make sure that people do not get confused in "Katrina", "Sandy" and "Irmah", periodically sending the most famous names "to rest."

Ships, saints and sisters

In the past, storms were named arbitrarily. In 1842, one of the devastating Atlantic hurricanes tore off the mast of the ship Antje, which was in the western part of the ocean. The cyclone was named after "Antje" - it was one of the first official names given to hurricanes. After that, they continued to be named mainly in honor of the destroyed ships and cities: for example, the Galveston hurricane that struck the American city of Galveston in 1900.

Sometimes tropical cyclones were named after saints. This is how hurricanes Saint Anne and Saint Philip appeared in Puerto Rico in the 19th century.

However, this method was inconvenient: confusion constantly arose without a clear system. In the late 19th century, Australian meteorologist Clement Rugg began giving tropical cyclones female names. During World War II, this tradition was taken up by the US military: US Navy meteorologists named hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean after wives, girlfriends and sisters.

Hurricane Sandy Territory. Photo by Reuters

In 1953, an international naming system for hurricanes and storms emerged, prepared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) with the support of the United States National Hurricane Center. Initially, there were only short female names on the list, which were assigned to cyclones alphabetically: the first hurricane began with the letter "A" and so on. In 1979, male names were added to the list to avoid gender bias.

From Arlene to Whittney

The first list was created for storms that originate in the Atlantic Ocean. A few years later, a similar system appeared in other regions where tropical cyclones are formed. Each region has its own names. All of them are published on the WMO website.

The most popular list is the Atlantic - hurricanes named after this list hit the United States. In total, the Atlantic Ocean has six lists of 21 names, which are in rotation. In 2017, one set of names is used, in 2018 a second. In 2022, the 2013 list will be repeated again.

The names also alternate - first, in alphabetical order, there is the female, then the male. The letters "Q", "U", "X", "Y" and "Z" are skipped. The names are given to storms with a stable wind speed of more than 62 km / h.

In 2017, hurricanes Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Don, Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irma, Jose and Kate". Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, Philip, Rina, Sean, Tammy, Vince and Whittney may appear before the end of the year. If the list ends during the year and storms continue to form, they are called letters of the Greek alphabet.

In 2014, a study appeared in the American scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, according to which female names for hurricanes lead to more devastating consequences than male names. However, the work was criticized by other scientists.

There is no scientific correlation between the strength and size of the storm and its name.

Susan Buchanyan

National Weather Service Officer

Retirement for hurricanes

Some cyclones like "Harvey" and "Irma" are more memorable than others due to the devastating consequences and mentions in the media. Because of this, using the same names again after a few years can lead to confusion. In this case, WMO holds a meeting every year to discuss which names to "retire".

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Photo by Reuters

One of the main criteria for changing a name is pain for victims during a cyclone. Since the system was adopted in 1953, 82 names have been removed from the list. Among them are the famous hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and Igor. In 2016, the names "Matthew" and "Otto" were removed from circulation.

Irma has been called the worst hurricane to form in the Atlantic over the past decade. Therefore, next year this name may be changed to another. And "Irma" will be the tenth hurricane with the letter "I" (Irma) in the Atlantic region to retire.

The naming system in Russia

For a long time, there was no naming system for cyclones in Russia. The hydrometeorological center of Russia used typical names for weather phenomena depending on their geography of origin and characteristics: southern cyclones (Black Sea, Caspian), diving cyclones, Far Eastern storm cyclones and others.

In October 2015, the organization proposed compiling its own lists of names for "hazardous weather systems." The Hydrometeorological Center decided to focus on the European model: the names of strong cyclones and anticyclones are also given in Great Britain and Germany. Moreover, if a disaster begins outside Russia and has already received a name, then this name is not replaced.

Photo: NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Irma, which struck the islands of the Caribbean and Florida, is called the strongest in the Atlantic in the entire history of observations, moreover, it brought terrible destruction and led to dozens of deaths. It is possible that his name will never again be used by meteorologists to name hurricanes in the future, so as not to remind people of tragic events.

The Voice of America talked about how and why hurricanes get their names.

Why hurricanes need names

Initially, the name is given to the storm, which later weakens or develops into a hurricane. Unnamed storms and hurricanes would greatly complicate the life of meteorologists, researchers, ship captains, rescuers, and just ordinary people. Names facilitate communication, which means they increase the level of security. That is why the World Meteorological Organization has created a special list of names for the elements, which is updated every year.

What hurricanes were called before the naming system

Hurricanes were often named after saints. For example, the hurricane that reached Puerto Rico on July 26, 1825, on St. Anne's Day, was named St. Anne. Sometimes the name of the area that suffered the most was chosen as the name. And sometimes the name was dictated by the shape of the hurricane. This is how hurricane Pin got its name in 1935.

How many names are on the list

Each year, 21 names are included in the list - for the number of all letters in the alphabet except Q, U, X, Y and Z - they are not used. The names are used in order: the first storm of the season is named by a name that begins with A, the second with B, and so on.

But what if all the letters in the alphabet have run out?

This happens extremely rarely: usually the number of tropical storms and hurricanes does not exceed 21. If this does happen, the Greek alphabet comes to the rescue. Hurricanes are named Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, etc.

When are hurricanes called female names, and when - male?

At first, hurricanes were exclusively "women." Military meteorologists began to assign female names to natural disasters during World War II. In 1953, this method was officially approved. But since 1978, after a lawsuit, the situation has changed: hurricanes began to be given male names as well.

How many names have meteorologists already "used up" this year?

For the Atlantic Coast, the 2017 hurricane list looks like this: Arlene, Bret, Cindy, Emily, Franklin, Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katya, Lee, Maria, Ophelia, Philip, Reena, Sin, Tammy, Vince and Whitney. Florida and Georgia are now experiencing the aftermath of a hurricane named Irma. Storms Jose and Katya have already formed in the Atlantic and got their names. That is, 9 more names from the 2017 list remained unused.

Could the name of a hurricane "retire"?

Maybe if the element was too destructive. In this case, reusing the same name may be too painful for those affected. For example, there will be no more hurricane named Katrina. It was removed from the list of names and will never be used in the future. There is a chance that the same fate awaits the names of Harvey and Irma.