This morning at 4am EST the first tropical storm of the season, Ana, was named by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). We haven't had any hurricanes yet this season. The sequence of hurricane development is:
Tropical Depression -> Tropical Storm -> Hurricane
Topical depressions are given numbers. Tropical storms and any subsequently developing hurricanes are given names in alphabetical order which switch from mens to womens names every other year. There are six lists of names (3 mens and 3 womens) which cycle every six years. The names were exhausted once in 2005. Tropical storms and hurricanes are given letters from the Greek alphabet when the list of names runs out.
Hurricanes are important to the oil market as they can shut down production and refining located in the Gulf of Mexico.
Updates:
1: 4pm EST Sat. the second Tropical Storm, Bill, named.
2: 12:15pm EST Sun. the third Tropical Storm, Claudette, named.
Hurricanes are important to the oil market as they can shut down production and refining located in the Gulf of Mexico.
Updates:
1: 4pm EST Sat. the second Tropical Storm, Bill, named.
2: 12:15pm EST Sun. the third Tropical Storm, Claudette, named.
(click on graphic above to obtain the lastest NHC update)