As Hurricane Melissa barrels towards Jamaica as a powerful Category 4 storm, questions often arise about how these tempests get their names.
From Alberto to William, each hurricane name follows a carefully designed global system, one built not just for order, but to save lives, prevent confusion, and communicate clearly in times of crisis.
Why hurricanes are named
The naming of hurricanes serves a vital purpose: it helps meteorologists communicate more effectively with the public. Giving storms official names makes warnings clearer, reduces confusion, and allows authorities to issue faster, more precise updates. The practice began in various parts of the world during the mid-20th century and gained prominence during World War II, when military meteorologists found that naming storms made them easier to track and report.
How hurricane names are chosen
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) manages six alphabetical lists of hurricane names, reused every six years. Each list begins anew on 1 June, marking the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.
For example, this year’s list began with Alberto and will conclude with William, names that will reappear in 2030, unless any are retired due to severe impact. Melissa, the current storm threatening Jamaica and parts of Cuba, is one of the names from this year’s rotation.
A look back at history
Before the modern system came into effect, storms were named more arbitrarily. They were sometimes referred to by the ships they struck, religious feast days, or the regions they devastated, such as the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Over time, meteorologists recognised the need for a consistent, international naming system that would make cross-border communication easier during emergencies.
When a storm gets its name
A developing cyclone is officially given a name when its sustained winds reach 63 kilometres per hour, upgrading it to tropical storm status. When winds intensify to about 120 kilometres per hour, it becomes a hurricane. Assigning a name early in the process helps meteorologists and disaster agencies coordinate warnings and track the storm’s evolution as is now the case with Hurricane Melissa.
Male, female, and retired names
Today’s naming lists alternate between male and female names for balance and clarity. However, not all names are reused. If a hurricane causes catastrophic loss of life or destruction, its name is retired permanently to honour victims and prevent confusion in future forecasts. The World Meteorological Organisation makes such decisions collectively, ensuring cultural sensitivity following major disasters.
A global system built for clarity
What began as a practical wartime measure has become an essential global communication tool. Naming hurricanes, such as Melissa, now menacing Jamaica is not merely a formality. It is a system grounded in science, history, and humanity, designed to ensure that critical information reaches people quickly and clearly when every second counts.
Pakistan announced Thursday that a landmark memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran has entered into force with immediate effect, markin...
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would conne...
An exiled Russian artist has been shot dead in Poland days after he carried out a one-man protest against Vladimir Putin, featuring a caricature of th...
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has delivered a stark message to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, warning that some member stat...
North Korea has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom just one month after he arrived in London, in a move linked to British sanctions on a c...
Thailand is reviving plans for one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, a proposed $30 billion “Land Bridge” that would connect the Gulf of Thailand with the Andaman Sea and offer an alternative trade route to the busy Strait of Malacca.
An exiled Russian artist has been shot dead in Poland days after he carried out a one-man protest against Vladimir Putin, featuring a caricature of the Russian President as a baby held by the Soviet-era dictator Joseph Stalin.
North Korea has withdrawn its ambassador to the United Kingdom just one month after he arrived in London, in a move linked to British sanctions on a children's camp, according to reports.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children if attacks on Palestinian minors continue at current levels.
Donald Trump has said the U.S. will resume bombing Iran if Tehran doesn't "behave," at the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. Earlier, the U.S. President criticised Israel for its tactics against Hezbollah, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to tackle militants.
U.S. President Donald Trump said a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has been signed by the U.S. and Iran, though details have yet to be made public and both countries said a permanent truce is yet to be negotiated.
Pakistan's heavy reliance on imported energy was laid bare by the U.S.-Iran conflict, which disrupted regional supplies, drove up costs and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's energy security. However, a proposed peace agreement now offers hope for economic relief.
A cyber extortion group has claimed it stole more than a terabyte of data from Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk after the company allegedly refused to pay a $25 million ransom.
American technology company Snap has launched its first augmented-reality (AR) glasses for consumers, marking a major push into wearable computing as tech firms race to redefine personal devices in the AI era.
Scientists have identified almost 166,000 square kilometres of coral reefs worldwide that appear capable of surviving and recovering from the impacts of climate change, offering new hope for some of the planet's most vulnerable marine ecosystems.
Australia's weather bureau warned on Tuesday that an El Niño weather pattern has formed in the tropical Pacific and could intensify in the second half of 2026, becoming one of the strongest events recorded in seven decades.
France’s parliament has formally recognised state responsibility for the use of the toxic pesticide chlordecone in Martinique and Guadeloupe, marking a significant step in addressing decades of environmental contamination and public health concerns.
Financial markets are significantly underestimating the economic impact of biodiversity loss, potentially leaving countries exposed to sovereign debt crises and rising borrowing costs, according to new research published on Friday.
Wildlife researchers have identified dozens of previously unknown insect species during an expedition to Angola’s remote Lisima Plateau, a conservation group announced on Wednesday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment