ELI5 Hurricanes - why female names?

ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast

Why don’t hurricanes seem to hit the West Coast of the USA or Europe? What is the Coreolis effect and why does it determine which direction a hurricane spins? They say the water flushes down a toilet or down a drain in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres - fact or fiction? Why did hurricanes all have female names at one stage?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: kristin9898, baroncoop, puzzlealbatross, competitivetable1, vinnaey, agate_ and bizitmap.

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