A Farewell To Zeta

Tropical Storm Zeta has died way out in the open Atlantic, finally putting to rest the memorable 2005 hurricane season. It was the 27th named storm of the year, breaking the 1933 record of 21. Zeta was also the longest-lived storm to form in December and cross into January of the following year. Overall, the year also saw 14 full-scale hurricanes, surpassing the previous record of 12 set in 1969. It was also the first time that the naming system had to utilize the Greek alphabet.

Any cyclones that form in the Atlantic at this point will fall under the 2006 list of names, beginning with Alberto. Officially, hurricane season starts on June 1.