Today is Labor Day here in the US. Labor Day is a US-wide public holiday which has been celebrated since 1882 when the Central Labor Union of New York City suggested a day off “for the working citizens”.

Anyway, its anything but a holiday for the residents of New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast in Louisiana. Hurricane Gustav, on its way last night hit the coast around 10am this morning, 70 miles southwest of New Orleans. Fortunately, it was a Category 2 storm as opposed to the Category 3 or 4 expected. The largest evacuation in US history, with almost 2 million residents from the Gulf Coast relocating happened with few incidents and the levees in New Orleans, strengthened after the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, have held. Its far from fun but it could have been a lot, lot worse.

So as its Hurricane season, Gustav is not the end. Hurricane Hanna is on its way, but this time more likely to hit in Florida or the east coast near North or South Carolina. Hanna is followed closely by Ike, which is still some way off so its anyone’s guess where that one will land. Then its Josephine’s turn, although she is just leaving the coast of Africa so is around 10 days off reaching the US.

And where do they get the names for Hurricanes from?

Well hurricanes in the West Indies were traditionally named after the particular saint's day on which the hurricane occurred. An Australian meteorologist began giving women's names to tropical storms before the end of the 19th century.

In 1953, the US National Weather Service began using female names for storms. In 1979, both women and men's names were used. One name for each letter of the alphabet is selected, except for Q, U and Z.

The World Meteorological Organization uses six lists in rotation. The same lists are reused every six years. The only time a new name is added is if a hurricane is very deadly or costly. Then the name is retired and a new name is chosen.

Anyway, at least we know where to go if one is coming our way...