Deep depression over Bay of Bengal set to intensify into cyclone 'Fengal'. How the cyclone was named

With the cyclonic storm approaching by November 27, IMD has forecast heavy rainfall for the next three days in Tamil Nadu. (Courtesy: PTI photo)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the intensification of a deep depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal into a cyclone. The cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall near Puducherry by the end of this week, several monitoring systems have suggested.

When the depression becomes a cyclone, it will be called 'Fengal'. The name of the cyclone -Fengal - was proposed by Saudi Arabia.

With the cyclonic storm approaching by November 27, the weather body has forecast heavy rainfall for the next three days in Tamil Nadu which is already experiencing moderate to heavy rains. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting in Chennai in order to review the precautionary measures.

"It (deep depression) is very likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm on 27th November. Thereafter, it will continue to move north-northwestwards towards Tamil Nadu coast skirting Sri Lanka coast during subsequent 2 days," IMD said in its bulletin.

Who names cyclones & how Fengal got its name?

Proposed by Saudi Arabia, Fengal is a word rooted in Arabic. According to a report in The Hindu, the word Fengal represents a blend of linguistic tradition and cultural identity, reflecting the regional diversity within the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) / United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) naming panel.

Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean are named by the panel of WMO and UNESCAP member countries. The current list of cyclone names was devised in 2020, with each member state contributing 13 names.

Who are part of the naming panel?

The WMO and UNESCAP panel includes 13 nations - Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE and Yemen.

Every member of the panel suggests a list of potential names, which are then used sequentially as cyclones form in the region. The system has been in place since 2004 to ensure easy public identification and efficient communication about storms.

According to the list of names suggested by the panel, the next storm will be called Shakhti, a name suggested by Sri Lanka. The names are used in rotation and once assigned, they are not reused.