Why doesn't the '87 hurricane have a name?

Factual Questions
1

Watching this weeks episode of Death in Paradise, a show about an English Inspector transferred to the fictional Caribbean island of San Marie, there’s a hurricane on the island and he’s very dismissive of it as he “survived 1987”. This is mainly played for laughs, but one comment his sergeant makes is that “does it have a name? If it was a real hurricane it would have a name”. (He jokingly suggests its name was Hurricane Fish:p)

So why does the hurricane that hit France and the 'UK in 1987 not have a name?

2

Because no hurricane hit France or the UK in 1987? Hurricanes are tropical by definition; the Great Storm of 1987 was a North Atlantic storm, and those are not named.

There were only three Atlantic hurricanes in 1987; only one, Arlene, approached Europe. It had been downgraded to “extratropical remnants” when it hit land, causing heavy rain in Spain (which, I’m sure, fell mainly on the plain).

3

Not sure if you know this but he suggests “Fish” because of BBC weatherman Michael Fish

Storms of this force (which indeed are not technically hurricanes) are so rare in the UK that they don’t need individual names and are just known by the date.

4

America had an idea for a song and paid off the Weather Service. :wink:

5

One did get a name recently: Hurricane Bawbag

6

Heh that sounds like…

…um, exactly what it is, I see.

7

Of course. That’s what the big green smiley was about.

Cheers for the replies everybody.

8

OK, you whooshed me with this. I’m familiar with America, but which one of their songs are you referring to here?

9

[del]Hurricane[/del] Horse with No Name, of course.

10

Horse With No Name

RTA: Ninja’d

11

Horse … hurricane, it’s all the same, huh? :frowning:

12

I blew through Britain with a hurricane with no name, it felt good to get in to the rain… They had to change it.

13

:smack:

14

You have to give people a certain amount of latitude in this regard.:wink:

15

But longitude is right out!