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How is it that the storm battering the Pacific Coast of Mexico is a Hurricane (John) and not a Typhoon? Is the name John in sequence with Ernesto as well (meaning where is F, G, H, and I?) Just curious. Thanks!
Mike D.
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Hurricane John which is battering the Baja Peninsula today is a large Category 3 hurricane with winds at this time at 115 mph (morning hours here on September 1). The mames of storms are different in a few different locations. West of the date line in the North Pacific ocean the hurricanes are given the names of Typhoon. So John is east of that date line, so it's just called a hurricane, both storms are the same type of systems, just different names.
As far as the names go, the names in the Atlantic and the Pacific are independent of eachother. There are lists for each ocean. The letters you asked about have not formed yet in the Atlantic and we only name storms once they hit Tropical Storm strength. In the Atlantic we don't use the letters Q, U, X, Y, Z. The link to the name list is on the right. This year in the Atlantic the names are:
Alberto Beryl Chris Debby Ernesto Florence Gordon Helene Isaac Joyce Kirk Leslie Michael Nadine Oscar Patty Rafael Sandy Tony Valerie William
This information list is from the National Hurricane Center.
Answered by KSL Meteorologist Dina Freedman.
