Confused about how names are designated for major storms in Hawaiian waters?

It all depends on where, exactly, the storm forms.

Hurricane Jimena is the ninth major storm in the region. It follows Guillermo, Hilda and Ignacio.

Those names come from the 2015 list of cyclone names formed in the Eastern North Pacific this year, which means storms formed east of 140 degrees longitude.

(To provide some bearing, Honolulu is located at 157 degrees longitude.)

Hurricanes Kilo, Ignacio and Jimena.

NOAA

The Eastern North Pacific list this year begins with Andres and ends with Zelda. A current tropical depression named 14-E could become Tropical Storm Kevin or Hurricane Kevin, says the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

The lists for Eastern Pacific Names is recycled every six years.

Meanwhile, cyclones that are formed west of 140 degrees longitude are given Central North Pacific names. Kilo and Loke have already been named; Malia is next.

The Central North Pacific list for 2015 begins with Ana and ends with Walaka — Hawaiian names. There are three other lists for Central North Pacific cyclones; once one list is used up, new names come from the top of the next list.

Interestingly, the NWS provides a pronunciation guide for Eastern names (e.g., Guillermo is gee-YER-mo, Ignacio is eeg-NAH-see-oh) but not for Central names.

This list of storm names may come in handy, given that hurricane season in Hawaii is only at its halfway point. It runs from June through November.