<p>In the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season, we got all the way to Tropical Storm Zeta, which is the current record. This year we may very well surpass that. However, right after Zeta come Eta and then Theta. This means that potentially there could be three concurrent storms all having rhyming names. Due to the possible public confusion, is it likely the WMO will revisit the convention of using the Greek alphabet in order as an auxiliary list?</p>

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2020-10-08T08:10:33.357Z
Alberto and Ernesto are on the same list in the North Atlantic, and the CPac has Olana, Pena, and Ulana in order on one list and similar patterns on their others.  Rhyming just might confuse a few people (as might having the first letter no longer in order), but overall is the effect really that different from the challenges occasional names present to some to pronounce them or know the gender (such as Isaias).  In the end, it's all hypothesizing, they can do whatever they want, but honestly it's probably pretty low on the list of priorities unless the Greek list starts being used constantly.
JeopardyTempest
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2020-10-09T11:59:20.847Z
Alberto and Ernesto are not confusing, because they differ in multiple phonemes. The only confusing pair is Olana/Ulana, but they are separated by Pena, and central Pacific hurricanes are so infrequent that they are highly unlikely to happen concurrently.
Jeh
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2020-10-09T16:26:56.823Z
I can tell you for a fact I mixed up Alberto and Ernesto repeatedly when they both affected us in 2006, for what it's worth.  Different people mix up different things, it still doesn't seem a big enough issue to me at least to really be a significant focus.
JeopardyTempest
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2021-09-14T01:55:44.333Z
Well, whaddya know, they changed the auxiliary list entirely.
Sirswagger21
<meteorology><tropical-cyclone>
In the future, is the World Meteorological Organization going to allow Hurricanes Zeta, Eta, and Theta to exist simultaneously?
Jeh
# In the future, is the World Meteorological Organization going to allow Hurricanes Zeta, Eta, and Theta to exist simultaneously?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-09-18)

In the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season, we got all the way to Tropical Storm Zeta, which is the current record. This year we may very well surpass that. However, right after Zeta come Eta and then Theta. This means that potentially there could be three concurrent storms all having rhyming names. Due to the possible public confusion, is it likely the WMO will revisit the convention of using the Greek alphabet in order as an auxiliary list?

**Tags:** meteorology, tropical-cyclone

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Alberto and Ernesto are on the same list in the North Atlantic, and the CPac has Olana, Pena, and Ulana in order on one list and similar patterns on their others.  Rhyming just might confuse a few people (as might having the first letter no longer in order), but overall is the effect really that different from the challenges occasional names present to some to pronounce them or know the gender (such as Isaias).  In the end, it's all hypothesizing, they can do whatever they want, but honestly it's probably pretty low on the list of priorities unless the Greek list starts being used constantly.  
> **username_0**: Alberto and Ernesto are not confusing, because they differ in multiple phonemes. The only confusing pair is Olana/Ulana, but they are separated by Pena, and central Pacific hurricanes are so infrequent that they are highly unlikely to happen concurrently.  
> **username_1**: I can tell you for a fact I mixed up Alberto and Ernesto repeatedly when they both affected us in 2006, for what it's worth.  Different people mix up different things, it still doesn't seem a big enough issue to me at least to really be a significant focus.  
> **username_2**: Well, whaddya know, they changed the auxiliary list entirely.  

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## 0 answers

