MANILA, Philippines — Butchoy, Kristine and Ulysses are some of the names that state weather bureau PAGASA will be giving to tropical cyclones that will enter or form inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility in 2020.
Annually, an average of 20 tropical cyclones affect the Philippines—a country vulnerable to catastrophic effects of severe weather made worse by climate change.
The first tropical cyclone of the year will be named Ambo. The list of cyclone names for 2020 ends with Zosimo.
Here is the list of PAGASA’s names for tropical cyclones in 2020:
The weather bureau has four sets of tropical cyclone names, which are used every four years. The names for 2020 will also be used in 2024, 2028 and 2032.
In case the number of tropical cyclones within the year exceeds 25, an auxiliary list is used.
Here is the auxiliary list for 2020:
- Alamid
- Bruno
- Conching
- Dolor
- Ernie
- Florante
- Gerardo
- Hernan
- Isko
- Jerome
Twenty-one cyclones entered the country in 2019, with Typhoon Ursula (Phanfone) recorded as the last one.
The powerful cyclone pummelled Visayas and parts of Luzon over Christmas, killing at least 50 people, making it the country’s deadliest storm of 2019.