Ignacio, Jimena 鈥� Kevin? How Storms Are Named in Hawaii
It depends on where the cyclone聽forms in relation to 140 degrees longitude. Malia follows Kilo聽and Loke.
Confused about how names are designated聽for major storms in Hawaiian waters?
It all depends on where, exactly, the storm forms.
Hurricane Jimena is the ninth major storm in the region. It follows聽Guillermo, Hilda and Ignacio.
Those names come from the 聽formed in the Eastern North Pacific聽this year, which means storms formed east of 140 degrees longitude.
(To provide聽some bearing, Honolulu is located at 157 degrees longitude.)
Hurricanes Kilo, Ignacio and Jimena.
NOAA
The Eastern North Pacific list this year begins聽with Andres and ends with Zelda. A current tropical depression named 14-E could become Tropical Storm Kevin or Hurricane Kevin, says the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
The lists for Eastern Pacific Names is recycled every six years.
Meanwhile, cyclones that are formed west of 140 degrees longitude are given聽Central North Pacific聽names. Kilo and Loke have already been named; Malia is next.
The Central North Pacific list聽for 2015 begins聽with Ana and ends with聽Walaka 鈥� Hawaiian names. There are three other lists for Central North Pacific cyclones; once one list is used up, new names come from the top of the next list.
Interestingly, the NWS provides for Eastern聽names (e.g., Guillermo is gee-YER-mo, Ignacio is eeg-NAH-see-oh) but not for Central names.
This list of storm names may come in handy, given that hurricane season in Hawaii is only at its聽halfway point. It runs from June through November.
