Maria is a retired Atlantic hurricane name. The World Meteorological Organization took it off the lists after the 2017 storm, so no future Atlantic storm will be called Maria. Its place on the list now belongs to Margot, on the 2029 list. Since 2000, eight storms have been named Maria; the strongest, in 2017, peaked as a Category 5 hurricane.
Yes. Maria is on NHC’s list of retired Atlantic names because of the 2017 storm. It is one of 100 names retired there since 1954 (Tropical Cyclone Naming History and Retired Names).
A name is retired when a storm was so deadly or costly that using the name again would be insensitive; the World Meteorological Organization then picks a new name with the same first letter at its annual meeting.
It won’t be. Retired names are not used again on the Atlantic lists. Its place on the list, the M slot, now belongs to Margot, on the 2029 Atlantic list, which is next used in 2029.
Maria formed in the West Pacific in August 2024 and peaked as a Category 1 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 973 mb. It made landfall near Rikuzen-Takata, Japan. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Typhoon Maria (2024): track and historyMaria formed in the West Pacific in July 2018 and peaked as a Category 5 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 910 mb. It made landfall near Rong’an, China. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Super Typhoon Maria (2018): track and historyMaria formed in the Atlantic in September 2017 and peaked as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 908 mb. It made 2 landfalls, first near Roseau, Dominica and last near Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. The system was tracked for 16 days.
Hurricane Maria (2017): track and historyMaria formed in the West Pacific in October 2012 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 982 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Tropical Storm Maria (2012): track and historyMaria formed in the Atlantic in September 2011 and peaked as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 983 mb. It made landfall near Conception Bay South, Canada. The system was tracked for 10 days.
Hurricane Maria (2011): track and historyMaria formed in the West Pacific in August 2006 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 980 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 11 days.
Tropical Storm Maria (2006): track and historyMaria formed in the Atlantic in September 2005 and peaked as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 962 mb. It did not make landfall. The system was tracked for 13 days.
Hurricane Maria (2005): track and historyMaria formed in the West Pacific in August 2000 and peaked as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 985 mb. It made landfall near Pingshan, China. The system was tracked for 7 days.
Tropical Storm Maria (2000): track and history| Storm | Landfall near | Date (UTC) | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maria 2024 | Rikuzen-Takata, Japan | 2024-08-12 00:00 | 50 mph / 85 km/h |
| Maria 2018 | Rong’an, China | 2018-07-11 03:00 | 100 mph / 155 km/h |
| Maria 2017 | Roseau, Dominica | 2017-09-19 01:15 | 165 mph / 270 km/h |
| Maria 2017 | Yabucoa, Puerto Rico | 2017-09-20 10:15 | 155 mph / 250 km/h |
| Maria 2011 | Conception Bay South, Canada | 2011-09-16 18:30 | 70 mph / 110 km/h |
| Maria 2000 | Pingshan, China | 2000-08-31 21:00 | 55 mph / 90 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 each of 2017, 2011 and 2005, Maria was the 13th name used in the Atlantic season.
Storms named Maria appear in more than one ocean in our archive:
Each ocean region keeps its own name lists, drawn up by its own WMO regional committee (Tropical cyclone naming), so the same name can be given to unrelated storms in different oceans.
The most recent was Typhoon Maria in 2024, in the West Pacific. It formed on August 5, peaked at 80 mph (130 km/h) and lasted 10 days. It made landfall near Rikuzen-Takata, Japan. Before that, the name was used in 2018, 2017, 2012, 2011, 2006, 2005 and 2000.
Hurricane Maria in 2017 was the strongest, peaking as a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 908 mb. It formed in the Atlantic in September and made landfall near Roseau, Dominica. The weakest of the eight, in 2012, peaked at 65 mph (100 km/h).