After Heidi it's Iggy ...

Tropical cyclone Heidi left an indelible mark on the Pilbara coast last week, and Iggy could be next.

The practice of naming tropical cyclones was first started by Queensland meteorologist Clement Wragge in the late 19th century and was reintroduced by the Bureau of Meteorology in 1963.

According to the bureau, each region is assigned a list of names that are selected by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre.

Originally, cyclones were only given female names but the list now alternates between male and female monikers.

The Australia region has a single list of 104 names.

The first name for the 2011-12 season was Fina, the most recent was Heidi, and the next name in line is Iggy.

When a cyclone significantly affects a community, such as tropical cyclone Tracy in 1974, the name is retired and a similar name with the same initial will take its place.

Ideas for names can be submitted to the bureau, however it is likely to take more than 50 years for the name to make the list if deemed suitable.