Cyclone Debbie: How the BOM names cyclones
Updated
Cyclone Debbie is the first cyclone of 2017 to threaten the coast of Queensland.
But why Debbie? Why not Laura? Or Nick?
Here's how the Bureau of Meteorology decides what a cyclone is going to be named.
They've got a list
It was first introduced for the start of the 2008-09 season, and it's 104 names long.
It works through the alphabet from A-Z, alternating between male and female names.
Cyclone Debbie was almost Cyclone Caleb, before a system off the coast of Western Australia formed into a cyclone first.
All the names on the list had to be approved by the World Meteorological Organisation Regional Tropical Cyclone Committee for the SE Pacific.
If you want to play along at home, the next few cyclones will be called Ernie, Frances, Greg and then Hilda.
Wait. I thought they were all named after women?
They were until 1975.
But as part of International Women's Year, the Science Minister decided to add male names to the list because both sexes "should bear the odium of the devastation caused by cyclones".
Are there any names the BOM doesn't use?
Yep. There's a few rules on which names it avoids.
The first is if a significant cyclone affects Australia, that name will be retired (think Cyclone Tracy or Cyclone Larry).
They also avoid names of public figures that might be seen as controversial, so we're unlikely to see a Cyclone Malcolm or Cyclone Donald any time soon.
If there's two cyclones happening at once, similar sounding names are also avoided so there's no confusion.
Where does Cyclone Yasi fit in?
It formed outside the area the BOM is responsible for, so they didn't get to name it.
The BOM keeps the name given to a cyclone by the relevant weather agency if it heads into Australian territory.
That's why it didn't get a traditionally male or female sounding name.
You can name a cyclone … but it'll take a while
The BOM accepts requests to add names to its list, but only in writing.
The names are added to a supplementary list that is used when a name is retired from the original list.
But because so many people want to name a cyclone, these letters are closed for any further submissions:
- Male: A, B, F, J, R, S, T, W, X, Y, Z
- Female: A, B, G, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, W, X, Y, Z
If you pass all those hurdles, here's a note from the bureau's website on how long it'll take:
"Note that it can take many decades for a suitable slot to become available, then a further 10 to 20 years for the names to cycle through, so it is likely to be well over 50 years before your requested name is allocated to a cyclone."
So if you write that letter tomorrow, maybe in 2067 your suggestion will make it through.
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- Satellite images reveal Cyclone Debbie's size and fury
- Track wind speeds as Cyclone Debbie crosses Queensland coast
- Photos: North Queensland residents brace for cyclone
Topics: cyclone, weather, human-interest, australia
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