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Hurricane Who?

Tropical cyclones are called typhoons in Asia and hurricanes in North and South America. These storms go around like a wheel turning to the left when they hit in the northern part of the world. They have wind speeds of 60 kph or more. In the United States, the Tropical Prediction Center in Miami, Florida keeps an eye out for hurricanes.

When meteorologists detect a hurricane, they give it a name. They can use either a male or female name. Why should tropical cyclones have names? The name makes it easier for people to keep up with information about a hurricane and its possible dangers.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an international weather group, decides what names will be used. The WMO makes lists of names using the English alphabet. Each name on the list starts with a different letter. The first hurricane of the year gets the first name on that year’s list. The second hurricane gets the next name. For example, if the first hurricane is named Abel, the second might be named Betty. The name lists do not include names beginning with the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z. There aren’t many names that begin with these letters.

Asian countries use a different list, which is made up by the WMO’s Typhoon Committee. This list has a few personal names, but most of the names are of flowers, animals, trees, and other similar things.