Why do hurricanes have female names?

[Atilla]

Hi guys,

Just wondering and I have heard this question asked before - why do hurricanes have female names?

You know like Katrina, Irene and now Sandy

East Coast scrambles as monster storm looms - MarketWatch

I've googled the answer the best reply seems to be "It is because when they leave they take the house and everything with them (as in a divorce)."

Just like to know who gives these official names? The weather forecasters.

Is there a legal case here for sexual discrimination???

 

[wackypete2]

Hurricanes and other storms are are determined from a list that's been created by a committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The list is alphabetical. Major storm names are retired from future use.

Hurricane Names

Peter

 

[Atilla]

Hurricanes and other storms are are determined from a list that's been created by a committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The list is alphabetical. Major storm names are retired from future use.

Hurricane Names

Peter

Thanks Pete, must be me only remember female names... Have no idea about Oscar or Rafael??? Weren't they ninja turtles or something???

Interesting site

 

[Rhody Trader]

It was only female names for a long time, but they started going splits with male ones a while back (maybe the 80s). I remember Hurricane Bob hitting the Northeast, and Andrew made a mess of things in Florida.

 

[new_trader]

Ships and Countries are referred to using the female pronoun 'She'...they are taking over!

 

[forever_young]

Hurricanes and other storms are are determined from a list that's been created by a committee of the World Meteorological Organization. The list is alphabetical. Major storm names are retired from future use.

Hurricane Names

Peter

That's really interesting! Some storm will be William) So tricky for UK)

 

[YouAreNotFree]

Because they always cost a fortune.

 

[Atilla]

Lack sense of direction :cheesy:

 

[YouAreNotFree]

Because they'll wreck your stuff, take your house and generally turn your life upside down.

Honest, i'm not a bitter divorcee. Too young

 

[Atilla]

Not very predictable...

Big wide Atlantic Ocean to my right.

NY City + 60m habited land mass to my left.


Tough call

 

[Hakuna Matata]

'cos when they come they're wet and wild, but when they leave they take your house and kids with them.

 

[thunderstruck]

I cheated and i found an answer here Why do hurricanes always have female names? - Yahoo! Answers

The practice of naming hurricanes solely after women came to an end in 1978 when men's and women's names were included in the Eastern North Pacific storm lists. In 1979, male and female names were included in lists for the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
However, prior to 1950 storms weren't officially named at all. From 1950 to 1952 they were named simply Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, Easy, Fox, George...not very imaginative, but it sufficed. From 1953 to 1978 someone (my guess a man going through a nasty divorce) decided to use only female names. Finally, in 1979, they started alternating between male and female names.

But I personally remember that all hurricanes being named by womens names in the mid 80's ant the womens groups hated that

Ps another link How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names?

PS2

Not very predictable...

maybwe it was for that . women and hurricanes are not predictable (so are the markets but no market has a female name)