Hurricane Alpha? Busy storm season could mean use of Greek alphabet for some names

It’s been an active Atlantic hurricane season in 2020 and it’s expected to get even busier.

Hurricane Isaias struck Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina as a Category 1 storm and was the ninth-named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. Isaias was also the fifth named storm to form in the month of July, which ties the 2005 record.

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Colorado State University, along with NOAA, releases hurricane forecasts each year for the Atlantic Basin. The university releases their forecasts in the spring and makes frequent updates throughout the year.

Their first prediction, released in April 2020, called for 16 named storms, eight of which becoming hurricanes and four major hurricanes (winds of 111 mph or greater). The average number of named storms in a season is 12, of which six become hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Colorado State University made updates to its forecast in June and July with its most recent update on Aug. 5. The university is now forecasting 24 named storms (including the nine that have already happened), 12 hurricanes (including two that have already happened), and 5 major hurricanes.

The World Meteorological Organization names tropical cyclones and uses 21 of the 26 letters in the alphabet, in alphabetical order. The letters that are excluded are Q, U, X, Y and Z.

Should 24 named storms form in total this 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, the Greek alphabet would have to be used. This would mean there would be potential storms named Alpha, Beta and Gamma during this season. The last time the Greek alphabet had to be used in an Atlantic hurricane season was in 2005.

During the 2005 season, the first six letters of the Greek alphabet were used.

Colorado State University sites extremely warm tropical Atlantic waters, a very active West African monsoon, weak wind shear in the development zone, and low odds of a developing El Niño as reasons for their upgraded forecast.

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