Hurricane names Beryl,Helene and Milton have been from its Atlantic basin name list and John from the eastern Pacific basin name list because of death and destruction caused by them in 2024.

The annual hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June to November. Beryl was earliest Category-5 hurricane (class-topping category on Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity) on record last year, with major impacts in the Caribbean. Helene and Milton caused catastrophic damage in US while John triggered deadly flooding in Mexican state of Guerrero.

Record for number of storm names retired from a single Atlantic season is five, in 2005 season. The most names retired for a decade was 24 in 2000s, followed by 16 retirements in 2010s. The deadliest storm to have its name retired was Mitch, which caused over 10,000 fatalities in Central America in October 1998. The costliest include Katrina in August 2005 and Harvey in August 2017, which struck US Gulf Coast, causing $125 billion in damage, much of it from flooding.

Above-normal season

The 2024 hurricane/cyclone season was ninth successive season with above average activity, according to World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), whilst eastern Pacific season was below average. The Atlantic basin saw 18 named storms in 2024. Eleven of those went on to become hurricanes, and five intensified to major hurricanes of category 3, 4 or 5.

Hurricane Committee of WMO said names Brianna, Holly and Miguel have been selected as replacements in Atlantic basin and Jake in the eastern Pacific. The names are repeated every six years, unless a storm is so deadly that its name is retired. 

Outlook for 2025

“It only takes one landfalling hurricane to undermine years of development. Whilst the US bears biggest outright economic losses, small island developing states and fragile economies suffer disproportionately,” said Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, WMO. 

Meanwhile, Colorado State University (CSU) tropical meteorology project team has said early tropical symptoms suggest a slightly more active Atlantic hurricane season than average this year, though representing a slight step-down from 2024. 

Absence of El Nino

First CSU outlook sees 17 storms, nine of which will become hurricanes and four, Category 3 status or stronger. This is slightly above 30-year average tally for hurricanes and storms, and also near 2024 tally of 18 storms, 11 hurricanes and five Cat 3-plus ones.

CSU attributes this to expected lack of a hurricane-suppressing El Niño. There is a moderate chance of La Niña conditions during core of hurricane season (August-October), according to US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Protocol for India

For Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, cyclone names are not retired. They are used only once, before a new list is used for next season. India Meteorological Department is responsible for naming them in consultation with Tropical Cyclone Regional Body on behalf of littoral countries. 

The 12 members of the Tropical Cyclone Regional Body includes, apart from India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Oman, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Yemen. 

Cyclones are named when they reach storm intensity levels with winds of 65 km/hr or more. Names are not reused once assigned to a cyclone. A named cyclone moving into Bay of Bengal from West Pacific/South China Sea will retain its original name.  According to RSMC, New Delhi, names of tropical cyclones will not be repeated.

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Published on April 8, 2025