2011 Tropical Storm & Hurricane Names

With the tropical season now officially underway, I thought I'd share the list of names that the meteorological community has decided to give to Tropical Storms & Hurricanes this year.





In case you need a refresher course, here is how things typically progress in the tropics, as far as the formation/classification of a system are concerned:





(1). Tropical Wave - developing area of low pressure where thunderstorms are still relatively disorganized.  No real center or sustained wind field.  A name or number is not formally assigned to this type of system, however it may eventually be given an "Invest" (or area of investigation) number as it develops further.





(2). Tropical Depression - developing area of low pressure with more organized thunderstorm activity.  Develops an area with sustained winds of 38 mph or less.  A number is assigned to the system once it reaches this stage (i.e., Tropical Depression One, Two, Three, etc.)





(3). Tropical Storm - organized area of low pressure & thunderstorm activity with sustained winds of 39-73 mph.  A formal name is given to the system at this stage.





(4). Hurricane - organized area of low pressure & thunderstorm activity with sustained winds greater than 73 mph.  Continues with the same name assigned once it reached Tropical Storm strength.





Once a storm reaches Hurricane strength, it is also assigned an intensity on the "Saffir-Simpson Scale" (similar to the EF-scale used for tornadoes).  For more on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, see this post.





Tracking charts are also available below each list of names, click on the image to go to the NHC website for downloadable and/or printable versions...





Below is the list of official names that will be given to Tropical Storms and/or Hurricanes that form in the Atlantic this season:





Arlene

Bret

Cindy

Don

Emily*

Franklin

Gert

Harvey

Irene

Jose

Katia

Lee

Maria

Nate

Ophelia

Philippe

Rina

Sean

Tammy

Vince

Whitney

Below is the list of official names that will be given to Tropical Storms and/or Hurricanes that form in the Eastern North Pacific this season:





Adrian

Beatriz

Calvin

Dora

Eugene

Fernanda

Greg

Hilary

Irwin

Jova

Kenneth

Lidia

Max

Norma

Otis

Pilar

Ramon

Selma

Todd

Veronica

Wiley

Xina

York

Zelda

*We're particularly anxious for the formation of Hurricane Emily around our house this year, as we feel that her destructive power is likely to closely resemble that of our 4 year old daughter of the same name.  For the sake of all those involved, we hope that particular storm remains out to sea....









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