What is the history of hurricane naming and how are names chosen for each storm?

Hurricanes have been named since the early 1950s, but before that, storms were often referred to by their latitude-longitude numbers or the places they hit. However, it became clear that naming storms made it easier for forecasters, the media, and the public to communicate about them. In 1953, the United States began naming storms with female names and in 1979, male names were added to the list.

Today, hurricanes are named by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which maintains six lists of names that are rotated every six years. Names are chosen alphabetically and alternate between male and female names. If a storm is particularly deadly or costly, its name is retired and replaced with a new name starting with the same letter.

The WMO follows a specific set of rules when choosing names for hurricanes. The names must be short, easy to remember, and not have any cultural or political implications. They must also not be similar to the names of any recent storms or cause confusion with other commonly used terms. Names are usually chosen from a list of suggestions submitted by the public or meteorological organizations.