A tropical storm named Gonzalo threatens the southern Antilles. Gonzalo was also a cyclone that hit Saint-Martin in 2014. Why is the same first name reused? How are the names of storms and cyclones defined? Explanations.
• Definition of lists
Six lists of names are established and each include 21 first names from A to W, the letters Q and U are not used for lack of first names. These lists are repeated cyclically every six years, the 2019 list was that of 2013, that of 2020 is therefore that of 2014. Except for a few names.
Indeed, “if a cyclone has caused many victims and / or caused significant damage, his first name is removed from the list by the Hurricane Committee of the Region. It is then replaced by another of the same kind, starting with the same letter and if possible of the same linguistic origin (English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, French-speaking) ”, explains Météo France. This is how we will no longer find the first names David, Gilbert, Hugo, Irma, Katrina, Luis, Maria, Lenny, Sandy or Dean.
“In the 2018 list, the first name Sandy, which had caused numerous victims and enormous damage in the United States at the end of October 2012, has been replaced by Sara. More recently, during the Hurricane Committee held in Martinique in April 2018, the first names Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate were replaced respectively by Harold, Idalia, Margot and Nigel in the 2023 list ”, adds Météo France .
• List of names 2020
Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky, Wilfred.
It should be noted that this year we find two names of phenomena that had affected Saint-Martin, Omar in 2008 and Gonzalo in 2014.
(soualigapost.com)
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