Alpha is a Greek letter. It was used in 2005 and 2020, after the 21 regular Atlantic names had run out. In March 2021 the World Meteorological Organization decided the Greek alphabet will not be used in future; a supplemental list of names is used instead. Since 2005, two storms have been named Alpha; the strongest, in 2020, peaked as a tropical storm.
It won’t be. In March 2021 the WMO Hurricane Committee decided the Greek alphabet will not be used in future, because it distracted from warnings and some letters (Zeta, Eta, Theta) sound alike (WMO Hurricane Committee retires tropical cyclone names and ends the use of Greek alphabet). When the 21 regular Atlantic names run out, storms now take names from a supplemental list approved by the WMO, which starts Adria, Braylen, Caridad (Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names).
Alpha formed in the Atlantic in September 2020 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 992 mb. It made landfall near Figueira da Foz, Portugal. The system was tracked for 5 days.
Tropical Storm Alpha (2020): track and historyAlpha formed in the Atlantic in October 2005 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 998 mb. It made landfall near Cabral, Dominican Republic. The system was tracked for 2 days.
Tropical Storm Alpha (2005): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha 2020 | Figueira da Foz, Portugal | 2020-09-18 18:40 | 50 mph / 85 km/h |
| Alpha 2005 | Cabral, Dominican Republic | 2005-10-23 10:00 | 50 mph / 85 km/h |
Names go in alphabetical order, one per storm, as each storm reaches tropical-storm strength (39 mph, 34 knots), so a storm’s place in its season decides its name.
In both 2020 and 2005, Alpha was the 22nd name used in the Atlantic season, after all 21 regular names.
In 2005 (Alpha to Zeta) and 2020 (Alpha to Iota), the regular list ran out and later storms took Greek letters in order.
The most recent was Tropical Storm Alpha in 2020, in the Atlantic. It formed on September 14, peaked at 50 mph (85 km/h) and lasted 5 days. It made landfall near Figueira da Foz, Portugal. It was the 22nd name used in that Atlantic season. Before that, the name was used in 2005.
Tropical Storm Alpha in 2020 was the strongest, peaking as a tropical storm with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 992 mb. It formed in the Atlantic in September and made landfall near Figueira da Foz, Portugal. The other, in 2005, reached the same peak wind.