HOW CYCLONES ARE NAMED ?

How tropical cyclones are named?

• Cyclones that form in every ocean basin across the world are named by the regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs). 

• There are six RSMCs in the world, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and five TCWCs.

• As an RSMC, the IMD names the cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, after following a standard procedure. The IMD is also mandated to issue advisories to 12 other countries in the region on the development of cyclones and storms.

Background:

• In 2000, a group of nations called WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), which comprised Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, decided to start naming cyclones in the region. 

• After each country sent in suggestions, the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) finalised the list.

• The WMO/ESCAP expanded to include five more countries in 2018 — Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Why is it important to name cyclones?

• Adopting names for cyclones makes it easier for people to remember, as opposed to numbers and technical terms. 

• Apart from the general public, it also helps the scientific community, the media, disaster managers etc. 

• With a name, it is easy to identify individual cyclones, create awareness of its development, rapidly disseminate warnings to increased community preparedness and remove confusion where there are multiple cyclonic systems over a region.

What are the guidelines to adopt names of cyclones?

While picking names for cyclones, here are some of the rules that countries need to follow. If these guidelines are following, the name is accepted by the panel on tropical cyclones (PTC) that finalises the selection:

• The proposed name should be neutral to (a) politics and political figures (b) religious believes, (c) cultures and (d) gender

• Name should be chosen in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of population over the globe

• It should not be very rude and cruel in nature

• It should be short, easy to pronounce and should not be offensive to any member

• The maximum length of the name will be eight letters

• The proposed name should be provided with its pronunciation and voice over

• The names of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean will not be repeated. Once used, it will cease to be used again. Thus, the name should be new.

Other details:

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently released a list of 169 names of future tropical cyclones that would emerge in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. 

• The new list of 169 names will begin after Cyclone Amphan.

• Incidentally, the IMD has issued an alert for Cyclone Amphan, which is forming over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman sea.

• The 13 names in the recent list that have been suggested by India include: Gati, Tej, Murasu, Aag, Vyom, Jhar (pronounced Jhor), Probaho, Neer, Prabhanjan, Ghurni, Ambud, Jaladhi and Vega.

• The first cyclone name which will be chosen will be— Nisarga by Bangladesh. Next, India’s choice, Gati, will be chosen.

AKSHAY RANA

DELTA INDIA YANKEE