2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season: Names and Retirement Criteria
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released the list of names for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1 and ends on November 30. The list includes 21 names, one for almost every letter of the alphabet, excluding Q, U, X, Y, and Z due to the lack of suitable names. The names cycle every six years, with the last occurrence in 2020. Notably, the name 'Laura' has been retired following the devastating impact of Hurricane Laura in 2020, which caused over $23.3 billion in damage and resulted in at least 81 deaths across several regions. The naming system, established in 1953, alternates between male and female names and requires names to be easy to pronounce, short, unique to the Western hemisphere, and culturally appropriate.