# Hurricane/Tropical Storm frequency **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 1999, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118 "1999-10-18T20:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 1999, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/1 "1999-10-18T20:51:00Z")
Every year, just before “Hurricane Season,” some spokesman for some weather organization says that “this season could set a record for hurricane activity.” I’d like to find some link that showed just how many tropical storms and hurricanes develop each year just to see how much deviation there is from one year to another. Any ideas?? ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 1999, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/2 "1999-10-18T20:56:00Z")
You could try [http://www.weather.com](http://www.weather.com) That’s the Weather Channel homepage. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 1999, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/3 "1999-10-18T20:59:00Z")
Try [http://www.weather.com/](http://www.weather.com/) . I haven’t been over there in a while, but my memory from a year ago (or the previous year) is that they had a page or two devoted exclusively to hurricanes. Another possible sight might be Dr. Dewpoint at [http://www.intellicast.com/DrDewpoint/](http://www.intellicast.com/DrDewpoint/) . * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![Undead\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Undead\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Undead_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 1999, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/4 "1999-10-18T21:02:00Z")
[http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.html](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.html) [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqG.html#G4](http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/tcfaqG.html#G4) ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 1999, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/5 "1999-10-19T13:14:00Z")
Or how 'bout [USA Today’s Hurricane History](http://www.usatoday.com/weather/huricane/whhistry.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 1999, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/6 "1999-10-20T02:38:00Z")
Anyone know how far down the alphabet we got for hurricane names? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 1999, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/7 "1999-10-20T03:56:00Z")
If you’re talking Atlantic hurricanes, the names go down to W, but there is no Q. If they run out of names, they go to the Greek alphabet (which they did a few years ago). In the Eastern Pacific, hurricanes/typhoons g from A to Z and don’t skip any letters as there are more storms there. In the Western Pacific, there is a series of names that just goes around and around regardless of the year. The Weather Channel link has a good section. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/8 "1999-10-21T13:43:00Z")
\*Markxxx: Anyone know how far down the alphabet we got for hurricane names? \* [ul][li]In the North Atlantic, the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z are skipped.[/li][li]In the (north)Eastern Pacific, the letters Q & U are skipped. (The only X names planned for use are Xina and Xavier.)[/li][li]In the (north)Central Pacific, only A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, U, & W are used (12 letters).[/li][li]In the (north)Western Pacific, Q, U, & X are skipped.[/li][li]Western Australia: they have 3 lists, 2 with 21 names, one with 20. One skips Q, U, W, X, & Y; another Q, U, X, Y, Z; the short list Q, R(!), U, X, Y, Z.[/li][li]Northern Australia: skips Q, U, X, Y, Z; 2 lists[/li][li]Eastern Australia: skips Q, U, X, Y, Z; 3 lists[/li][li]Fiji region: skips Q & X on three lists, Q, X, & Y on a fourth. Their fifth is used to replace retired names from the other 4.[/li][li]Papua New Guinea: 2 lists, one with 8 names, one with 7. FYI:[/li] ```auto List 1 List 2 Epi Abdul Guba Emau Ila Gule Kama Igo Matere Kamit Rowe Tiogo Tako Ume Upia ``` (Hope that comes out OK) [li]Southwest Indian Ocean: skips Q, U, X, & Z; one list[/ul][/li] All of the above is from NOAA’s [World-Wide Tropical Cyclone Names](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.html) page. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/9 "1999-10-21T20:41:00Z")
Just FYI: Next year the 19th and 20th tropical storms/hurricanes will be named Tony and Valerie. My nickname’s Tony; my wife is Valri (variation of Valerie). That’d be weird if the names get used. More weirdness: the 21st would be William, my middle name! ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 1999, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-tropical-storm-frequency/4118/10 "1999-10-21T20:47:00Z")
Those names are for the North Atlantic storms, BTW…