2025 Hurricane Names: Here Is The Full List Of Storm Names Released By WMO

The Atlantic Ocean hurricane season started on Sunday, June 1. This year could bring an above-average number of storms, experts have warned.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce responsible for weather forecasts, is predicting 13 to 19 named storms from June 1 to Nov. 30 this year. This indicates a higher number of hurricanes in 2025, compared to the average of 14 incidents annually from 1990 to 2020. The agency had stated six to 10 of 2025's forecast storms are expected to change into full-blown hurricanes, resulting in winds of 74 mph or higher. Three to five storms could be major hurricanes, with wind speeds of 111 mph or above.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations agency, is responsible for naming storms. A list has been released containing storm names for the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.

• Andrea

• Barry

• Chantal

• Dexter

• Erin

• Fernand

• Gabrielle

• Humberto

• Imelda

• Jerry

• Karen

• Lorenzo

• Melissa

• Nestor

• Olga

• Pablo

• Rebekah

• Sebastien

• Tanya

• Van

• Wendy

The names are used in rotation and recycled every six years, meaning that the 2025 list will be used again in 2031. If there are over 21 hurricanes in a season, the additional storms will take their names from an alternate list of names approved by the WMO. A name is removed from the list if there is a storm so deadly that future use of the same name for a different hurricane would be inappropriate for reasons of sensitivity. In this case, another name is selected as a replacement. Three names were retired in 2024- Beryl, Helene and Milton.

The WMO mentions on its website that naming tropical cyclones has proven to be the fastest way to raise public awareness and preparedness levels about the storms. It can also help in record-keeping and impact assessment. “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 agency stated on its website.

 In May, the NOAA said that warmer ocean temperatures are contributing to more storms, NPR reported. According to scientists, storms are causing more rain and damage farther away from the coast due to climate change.

The 2025 hurricane season comes in the wake of layoffs at the NOAA by the Trump administration.  Over 500 employees were laid off at the National Weather Service, which is part of NOAA, post job cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency, then led by Elon Musk.

The US government has proposed funding cuts amounting to several million dollars for 2026. This includes scaling down climate research and reducing funds for satellites that provide important data for weather forecasts. This could undermine abilities to predict hurricanes as the storms are getting more dangerous.