2020 Atlantic hurricane season has used up all storm names

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has exhausted all of its storm names following the formation of Tropical Storm Wilfred in the Atlantic.

Each year the National Hurricane Center puts out a list of 21 storm names. This year, due to a record number of hurricanes in the Atlantic, that list has now been expended.

“This means we’ve now used all 21 names of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and will start using the Greek alphabet,” The Weather Channel noted Friday in reporting on the formation of Wilfred in the Atlantic.

BREAKING: Tropical Storm #Wilfred has formed in the Atlantic.

This means we’ve now used all 21 names of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and will start using the Greek alphabet. @NOAA has predicted up to 25 storms, which would include #Alpha, #Beta, #Gamma, and #Delta. pic.twitter.com/317GQHvXgB

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) September 18, 2020

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted up to 25 named storms this year in the Atlantic, with the designation meaning the storm has winds of 39 miles per hour or greater.

The next tropical depression, which will be the 22nd named storm this season, will begin the Greek alphabet starting with Alpha, with other expected storms set to be named Beta, Gamma and Delta.

The Weather Channel noted that Tropical Storm Alpha would be the second-ever Alpha storm after 2005’s Tropical Storm Alpha. The network added it would likely become the first Hurricane Alpha in history.

2020 has been an unusually active tropical storm season, which runs through the end of November.

According to Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist from Colorado State University, Sept. 10 is typically considered the “climatological peak” of the Atlantic hurricane season, as storm rates are expected gradually decline later into the season.

Today is September 10 – generally considered to be the climatological peak of the Atlantic #hurricane season. In the satellite era (since 1966), ~75% of Atlantic seasons have had >=1 named storm and ~50% of seasons have had >=1 hurricane active on September 10. pic.twitter.com/9kzFArPVpu

— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) September 10, 2020