With the start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season quickly approaching and the first named storm – Arthur – likely this weekend, I figured it would be a good time to review the names being used for this season. Arthur’s previous incarnation in 2014 became the earliest hurricane to make landfall in North Carolina, but since the name was not retired, it is going to be used again this year. Several other names that have been used several times are likely going to get used again, such as Bertha, Edouard and Josephine.

Atlantic hurricane naming lists are recycled every six years, and alternate between male and female names. Names that start with the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are skipped. Unusually destructive and/or deadly storms typically have their names retired by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) the following spring (though that did not happen this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season will use List 6, a list first used in 1984 and most recently used in 2014. The 2014 Atlantic hurricane season was a quiet one: only 8 named storms formed, tied with 1997 for the fewest since 1994. No names were retired after the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, so this season will use the exact same list. Expert groups are in good agreement that the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season will likely be much more active than 2014, so we should expect to get much deeper into the naming list this year. The names are listed below:

• Arthur [AR-thur] (used six times, most recently in 2014)
• Bertha [BUR-thuh] (used six times, most recently in 2014)
• Cristobal [krees-TOH-bahl] (used three times, most recently in 2014 – replaced Cesar after 1996)
• Dolly [DAH-lee] (used four times, most recently in 2014 – replaced Diana after 1990)
• Edouard [eh-DWARD] (used six times, most recently in 2014)
• Fay [fay] (used three times, most recently in 2014 – replaced Fran after 1996)
• Gonzalo [gohn-SAH-loh] (used one time in 2014, replaced Gustav after 2008)
• Hanna [HAN-uh] (used three times, most recently in 2014 – replaced Hortense after 1996)
• Isaias [ees-ah-EE-ahs] (previously unused, replaced Ike after 2008)
• Josephine [JOH-seh-feen] (used five times, most recently in 2008)
• Kyle [KY-ull] (used three times, most recently in 2008 – replaced Klaus after 1990)
• Laura [LOOR-ruh] (used once, most recently in 2008 – replaced Lili after 2002)
• Marco [MAR-koe] (used three times, most recently in 2008)
• Nana [NA-na] (used twice, most recently in 2008)
• Omar [OH-mar] (used once, most recently in 2008)
• Paulette [pawl-LET] (previously unused, replaced Paloma after 2008)
• Rene [re-NAY] (never used)
• Sally [SAL-ee] (never used)
• Teddy [TEHD-ee] (never used)
• Vicky [VIH-kee] (never used)
• Wilfred [WILL-fred] (never used)