Why and how are tropical cyclones named?
Tropical cyclones are named to provide ease of communication between forecasters and the general public regarding watches and warnings. Having a name also allows the community to know when and where the cyclone is coming from. Since the storms can often last a week or longer and that more than one can be occurring in the same region at the same time, names can also reduce the confusion about what storm is being described whether it is on the news or casual conversation. The name of a new tropical cyclone is usually selected from a list of names. If a named cyclone moves into the Australian region from another country's zone of responsibility, the name given by the other country will stay the same. The names are normally chosen in order, but when all the names have eventually been used, the list below returns the top and starts again.
Tropical cyclones are named to provide ease of communication between forecasters and the general public regarding watches and warnings. Having a name also allows the community to know when and where the cyclone is coming from. Since the storms can often last a week or longer and that more than one can be occurring in the same region at the same time, names can also reduce the confusion about what storm is being described whether it is on the news or casual conversation. The name of a new tropical cyclone is usually selected from a list of names. If a named cyclone moves into the Australian region from another country's zone of responsibility, the name given by the other country will stay the same. The names are normally chosen in order, but when all the names have eventually been used, the list below returns the top and starts again.
When is cyclone season?
In Australia, the official tropical cyclone season runs from the 1st of November, to the 30th of April with most occurring between December and April.
How many cyclones occur each year?
On average, there are about thirteen cyclones that form in the Australian region each cyclone season. This represents about 16 per cent of the total cyclones that occur globally.