Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Definitions

13. When did the naming of cyclones begin?

The convention of naming Australian tropical cyclones began in 1964. The first Western Australian named cyclone was Bessie that formed on 6 January 1964. Female names were used exclusively until the current convention of alternating male and female names commenced in 1975.

The naming of weather systems in Australia began much earlier than the 1960s, however. The flamboyant Clement Wragge, Government meteorologist in Queensland from 1887 until 1902, initiated the practice by naming weather systems after anything from mythological creatures to politicians who may have annoyed him.

During World War II, US Navy and Army Air Corps meteorologists informally gave tropical cyclones womens names. The Northwest Pacific basin tropical cyclones were given women's names officially starting in 1945 and men's names were also included beginning in 1979. Beginning on 1 January 2000, tropical cyclones in the Northwest Pacific basin were named using a new and very different list of names. The new names are Asian names and were contributed by all the nations and territories that are members of the World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO) Typhoon Committee. These newly selected names have two major differences from the rest of the world's tropical cyclone name rosters. One, the names by and large are not personal names. There are a few men's and women's names, but the majority are names of flowers, animals, birds, trees, or even foods, etc, while some are descriptive adjectives. Secondly, the names will not be allotted in alphabetical order, but are arranged by contributing nation with the countries being alphabetized.

The Southwest Indian Ocean tropical cyclones were first named during the 1960/1961 season but in the North Indian Ocean region tropical cyclones are not named.