Context
The recent cyclones in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, named as Tauktae and Yaas respectively pose concerns over the rising temperature over the Indian Ocean. These Cylones are listed in India Meteorological Department (IMD) of future tropical cyclones that would emerge in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
About the Cyclone List and their naming
- The list of 169 cyclone names is released by IMD, which provides the names of the cyclones and have 13 suggestions from each of the 13 countries.
- Cyclones are named by the regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) in every ocean basin across the world.
- There are six RSMCs in the world that also includes the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and a total of five TCWCs.
- As an RSMC, the IMD names the cyclones which develop 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.
How the cyclones are named?
- In 2000, a group of nations which is called WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), decided to start naming cyclones.
- The group is comprised of Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, region.
- The WMO/ESCAP expanded to include five more countries in 2018 — Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
- Each country sent in suggestions and they were finalized to prepare a list by the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC).
- The list of 169 cyclone names is released by IMD, which provides the names of the cyclones and have 13 suggestions from each of the 13 countries.
Importance to name the cyclones
- It helps the scientific community, the media and disaster managers to create awareness of the development, for rapidly disseminating warnings to increased community preparedness and remove confusion where there are multiple cyclonic systems over a region.
Guidelines to adopt names of cyclones
Some of the rules that countries need to follow:
- 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.
What cyclone names has India suggested?
- 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.
- Some of the names picked by India were suggested by the general public. An IMD committee is formed to finalise the names before sending it to the PTC.
