Due to their long-term persistence, and the need for a unique identifier in issuing forecasts and warnings, tropical cyclones A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air. They are fueled by a different heat mechanism than other cyclonic and subtropical cyclones A subtropical cyclone is a weather system that has some characteristics of a tropical and an extratropical cyclone. As early as the 1950s, meteorologists were unclear whether they should be characterized as tropical or extratropical cyclones. They were officially recognized by the National Hurricane Center in 1972. Subtropical cyclones began to are given names according to policy Presently, most tropical cyclones are given a name using one of several lists of tropical cyclone names. Storms of tropical storm strength are given names to allow the public to easily distinguish between systems when there are multiple systems in an individual basin at the same time. In most cases, a tropical cyclone retains its name throughout. The following are lists from which these tropical and subtropical cyclone names are derived.