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Colorado State predicts below-average hurricane season
Colorado State University has released its 2026 hurricane forecast. Researchers are predicting a below-average season. Levi Silvers, co-author of the Colorado State Hurricane Forecast, joins Good Day Orlando to talk about the report.
The first five names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season are Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, and Edouard.
There are 21 storm names issued ahead of every hurricane season – and they rotate every six years. That means the 2026 hurricane names will again be used in 2032, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The names are used to help track multiple storms being monitored during the season, especially if two or more storms develop at the same time, as well as to help keep clear communication between government agencies, meteorologists and forecasters, and the public about a specific storm.
Here are this year's storm names:
- Arthur
- Bertha
- Cristobal
- Dolly
- Edouard
- Fay
- Gonzalo
- Hanna
- Isaias
- Josephine
- Kyle
- Leah
- Marco
- Nana
- Omar
- Paulette
- Rene
- Sally
- Teddy
- Vicky
- Wilfred
If all 21 names are used in a season, there is a reserve list with an additional 21 names.
Who picks the hurricane storm names?
The hurricane storm names are decided by an international body of forecasters and the World Meteorological Organization. They are used to help meteorologists, forecasters, journalists, and the public communicate warnings and updates about a specific storm.
"Assigning names to tropical cyclones makes tracking and discussing specific storms more straightforward, especially when multiple storms are active simultaneously. Naming also helps to avoid confusion among meteorologists, media, emergency management agencies and the public," the WMO said on its website.
There are four factors considered when coming up with the names:
- Short in character length for ease of use in communication
- Easy to pronounce
- Appropriate significance in different languages
- Uniqueness – same names cannot be used in other regions.
Why are storm names retired?
The World Meteorological Organization will retire a storm name after a season if that storm was particularly deadly or destructive.
Here are some of the recently retired names:
- 2025 season: Melissa
- 2024 season: Beryl, Helene, Milton
- 2023 season: None
- 2022 season: Fiona, Ian
- 2021 season: Ida
- 2020 season: Laura, Eta, Iota
- 2019 season: Dorian
- 2018 season: Florence, Michael
- 2017 season: Harvey, Irma, Maria, Nate
- 2016 season: Matthew, Otto
- 2015 season: Erika, Joaquin
Click here to see the full list of retired Atlantic storm names
The Source: The information is from the National Hurricane Center and the World Meteorological Organization.