Tropical Storm Fernand forms in the Atlantic Ocean

Tropical Storm Fernand – pronounced fair-nahn – has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the sixth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Fernand is expected to remain over the Atlantic Ocean. There are no expected threats to Florida or the United States.

Where is Fernand?

Tropical Storm Fernand, previously known as Invest 90, was about 405 miles south-southeast of Bermuda and moving north at 15 mph, according to the NHC’s 5 p.m. update. It has sustained winds of 40 mph.

“A north- northeastward motion at a gradually increasing forward speed is anticipated during the next couple of days, followed by a turn to the northeast. On the forecast track, Fernand should move well east of Bermuda and across the open waters of the subtropical North Atlantic,” the NHC said.

Fernand could become hurricane: NHC

Fernand is expected to strengthen a little bit over the next 48 hours, the NHC said, and could be near hurricane strength on Monday. It is then expected to weaken on Tuesday, the NHC said.

When does hurricane season end?

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 – November 30, 2025. However, most activity begins between August, September, and October. The “peak” of hurricane season is typically in mid-September.

2025 tropical storm names

Here are the tropical storm/hurricane names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. There are 21 names each season, followed by a reserve list with an additional 21 names, if needed. 

Once a tropical depression becomes a tropical storm (has sustained winds of at least 39 mph), it gets a name.

2025 names

• Andrea
• Barry
• Chantal
• Dexter
• Erin
• Fernand
• Gabrielle
• Humberto
• Imelda
• Jerry
• Karen
• Lorenzo
• Melissa
• Nestor
• Olga
• Pablo
• Rebekah
• Sebastien
• Tanya
• Van
• Wendy

Who picks the hurricane storm names?

The hurricane storm names are decided by an international body of forecasters and the World Meteorological Organization. They are used to help meteorologists, forecasters, journalists, and the public communicate warnings and updates about a specific storm.

“Assigning names to tropical cyclones makes tracking and discussing specific storms more straightforward, especially when multiple storms are active simultaneously. Naming also helps to avoid confusion among meteorologists, media, emergency management agencies and the public,” the WMO said on its website.

The 21 names rotate every six years. The 2025 storm name was last used in 2019. However, Dorian was retired after the 2019 season, which is why Dexter is on this year’s list.

What happens if there are more than 21 names in a season?

Then the reserve or supplemental list is used. That consists of an additional 21 names. Until 2020, the reserve list consists of the Greek alphabet. Beginning with the 2021 season, that changed to a supplemental list that alternatives between male and female names.

Why are storm names retired?

The World Meteorological Organization will retire a storm name after a season if that storm was particularly deadly or destructive.

After the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, the names Beryl, Helene, and Milton were retired. Those names will be replaced by Brianna, Holly, and Miguel in 2030.

Can I recommend that my name be a future storm name?

How neat would that be? Unfortunately, there is no submission form. The names themselves are curated by an international committee    of the United Nations World Meteorological Organization.

“The selection of names is based on their familiarity to the people in each region, aiming to aid in the understanding and remembrance of cyclones,” the WMO website states.

When selecting a name, there are at least four factors:

• Short in character length for ease of use in communication
• Easy to pronounce
• Appropriate significance in different languages
• Uniqueness – same names cannot be used in other regions.