STORMY: The World Meteorological Organization must not pay attention to social media.

Why? The 2025 list of Atlantic Hurricane names has been released, and on it is a Hurricane Karen.

We all know the trend referring to white women who act rude, racist or entitled as a “Karen” actually has nothing to do with the name itself. Yet some women with the name — perfectly nice, polite and caring women — are suffering the consequences of an internet joke.

Let’s hope Hurricane Karen is more like the latter, and ends up being calm.

Also on the list is the name Dexter. Folks of a certain age may equate that with Dexter’s Laboratory — a child genius who whips up world-saving devices in his laboratory — from Cartoon Network, while others may think of the television drama Dexter about a serial killer. Either is quite a connotation for a hurricane.

Other names on the list are Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.

Hurricane season starts  June 1, and forecasts call for an above-average season — or maybe a normal season. It depends on who one looks to for the forecast. Tropical Storm Risk (it’s a forecasting agency, apparently) is calling for an “above-average season, expecting 16 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes and ACE (accumulated cyclone energy) Index of 146.”

The NOAA says there’s up to a 60% chance of the season being more active than normal; contributing factors are warmer-than-normal sea surfaces and weak wind shear.

An average season produced 14 named storms, including seven that develop into hurricanes.