Hurricane 2025 names announced: Date, time, important details to know

As the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season approaches, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has officially released this year’s list of storm names. The season kicks off on June 1 and runs through November 30, a period that could bring significant weather challenges, especially with experts warning of “volatile” and above-average activity this year.

2025 hurricane name listThe WMO rotates storm name lists every six years, and this year’s lineup includes 21 names, one for each letter of the alphabet, excluding Q, U, X, Y, and Z, due to the limited number of usable names starting with those letters.

Here’s the full list for 2025:

• Andrea
  
  
  
• Barry
  
  
  
• Chantal
  
  
  
• Dexter
  
  
  
• Erin
  
  
  
• Fernand
  
  
  
• Gabrielle
  
  
  
• Humberto
  
  
  
• Imelda
  
  
  
• Jerry
  
  
  
• Karen
  
  
  
• Lorenzo
  
  
  
• Melissa
  
  
  
• Nestor
  
  
  
• Olga
  
  
  
• Pablo
  
  
  
• Rebekah
  
  
• Sebastien
  
  
  
• Tanya
  
  
  
• Van
  
  
  
• Wendy
  
  
  
  
  
  

The only change from the 2019 list is the retirement of “Dorian”, replaced this year by “Dexter.” Dorian was officially retired after it devastated the Bahamas in 2019, causing over $5 billion in damages and leading to at least 77 fatalities across the Caribbean and the southeastern United States.



Why do hurricanes have names?The modern hurricane naming system began in 1953, originally using only traditionally female names—a choice that later sparked criticism for its sexist origins, linking the unpredictability of storms to outdated stereotypes about women. Male names were finally added in 1979, and now names alternate by gender.

How are names chosen?According to the WMO, hurricane names must meet several criteria:

• Short and easy to pronounce
  
  
  
• Not offensive in any language
  
  
  
• Unique to the Western Hemisphere
  
  
  
• Culturally and linguistically appropriate
  
  
  

If all 21 names are used up in a particularly active season, a supplemental list—introduced in 2021—will be used. This replaced the former method of turning to the Greek alphabet.
When are hurricane names retired?A name is retired when a storm is so deadly or costly that reusing its name would be insensitive. The process begins with a request from any affected country, or through a WMO decision. Notably, storms don’t need to reach hurricane strength to have their names retired—Tropical Storm Allison was retired in 2002 for its destructive impact in Texas.

In the 2020s so far, these names have been retired:

• Laura
  
  
• Eta
  
  
  
• Iota
  
  
  
• Ida
  
  
  
• Fiona
  
  
• Ian
  
  
  
• Beryl
  
  
  
• Helene
  
  
  
• Milton

Prepare now: 2025 could be activeClimate experts warn that hurricanes are becoming stronger and more frequent due to global warming. AccuWeather forecasts a season that may bring a “near to above historical average” number of named storms to the U.S. coastline.

If you live in a hurricane-prone area, now is the time to:

• Know your evacuation routes
  
  
  
• Stock up on emergency supplies
  
  
  
• Identify your nearest shelter
  
  
  
• Follow local weather alerts