Hurricane Vance named by chance, not after vice president

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 20:32 · Archive

Hurricane Vance strengthened off Mexico's Pacific Coast on Friday, coinciding with Vice President JD Vance's campaign travels.

A hurricane named Vance intensified off Mexico's Pacific Coast on Friday, prompting social media users to joke about the coincidence with Vice President JD Vance, who is travelling the United States supporting Republican candidates for next month's election.

The storm is not named after the vice president. Vance was next on a list of Pacific storm names devised by the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations' weather agency. For the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific regions, the lists are alphabetical and alternate between male and female names. The lists are reused every six years. Vance followed Trudy, which reached hurricane strength off Mexico the previous week.

Many social media posts included images of the vice president's face superimposed into the eye of the storm. A similar pattern occurred in August when Tropical Storm Dolly formed in the Atlantic two days after country music performer Dolly Parton's death, prompting widespread online reaction despite the storm not being named after the performer.

Representatives from the vice president's office, the WMO and the National Hurricane Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

How it is being reported

• With hurricane off Mexico sharing name with Vice President JD Vance, the social media memes flyVice President JD Vance is traveling the U.S. supporting Republican candidates, while another Vance is on a whirlwind tour off Mexico's Pacific Coast.Clickorlando · 23 Oct, 20:12
• With hurricane off Mexico sharing name with Vice President JD Vance, the social media memes flyVice President JD Vance is traveling the U.S. supporting Republican candidates, while another Vance is on a whirlwind tour off Mexico's Pacific Coast.News4Jax · 23 Oct, 20:12

In this story: JD Vance · World Meteorological Organization · Mexico

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