Military weather forecasters began giving women’s names to significant storms during World War II. Then in 1950 the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) agreed to an alphabetical naming system - using the military’s radio code.

The first named Atlantic hurricane was Able in 1950.

But officials soon realised the naming convention would cause problems in the history books if more than one powerful Hurricane Able made landfall.

So, in 1953 the organisation adopted a rotating series of women’s names, planning to retire names of significant storms.

Feminists urged the WMO to add men’s names, which was done in 1979.

The male-female-male-female naming convention evolved to include French and Spanish names in the Atlantic system, reflecting the languages of the nations affected by Caribbean hurricanes.

Twenty-one names are reserved each year (the letters q, u, x, y and z are not used), and the names are recycled every six years, minus those retired.

When a name is retired, the WMO chooses a new name to replace it.

Names for storms this year include Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and William.