After a year of relentless storms that battered the Philippines, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has removed eight tropical cyclone names from its official list—the most ever in a single year under its current naming system.
PAGASA has officially dropped Aghon, Enteng, Julian, Kristine, Leon, Nika, Ofel, and Pepito from its rotating list of local cyclone names.
The agency removes a storm name if the cyclone results in at least 300 deaths and/or causes P1 billion worth of damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
However, during the fourth quarter of 2024, six storms struck the country in less than a month.
Instead of assessing them individually, PAGASA decided to remove all names linked to the widespread destruction during this period.
The removal of these eight names marks 2024 as the year with the highest number of storm names decommissioned since PAGASA adopted its current naming system in 2001.
To replace the removed names, PAGASA has introduced new storm names that will enter its four-year naming cycle starting in 2028. The replacements include Amuyao, Edring, Josefa, Kidul, Lekep, Nanolay, Onos, and Puwok.
PAGASA rotates four sets of names every four years, but it permanently removes any name associated with widespread destruction to prevent confusion and honor those affected.
The state weather bureau also said that they continue to strengthen its monitoring and disaster response efforts to help Filipinos prepare for future challenges.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.