Severe cyclonic storm Asani, moving towards coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with gusty winds up to 120kmph today, is expected to weaken gradually over the next two days. It is the first cyclonic storm of the season and was named by Sri Lanka.
Asani means “wrath” in Sinhalese.
A list of names for cyclones was released in 2020 with 169 names, including 13 names each from 13 countries. Let’s look at the upcoming names of the cyclones and which countries would be naming them.
The cyclone that will form after Asani will be called Sitrang, and the name has been given by Thailand.
Ghurni, Probaho, Jhar and Murasu are the upcoming names from India.
Other cyclonic storms’ names include Biparjoy (Bangladesh), Asif (Saudi Arabia), Diksam (Yemen) and Toofan (Iran) and Shakhti (Sri Lanka).
Names from India that have been used already include Gati, Megh, Akash. Other designations that have been used earlier included Ogni, Helen and Fani from Bangladesh; and Laila, Nargis and Bulbul from Pakistan.
There is a process behind each cyclone’s naming process. There are six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) worldwide and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres, which are mandated for issuing advisories and naming of cyclonic storms.
The list is arranged according to names given by alphabetically-arranged counties, that are neutral to gender, politics, religious beliefs and cultures. It is used sequentially, column wise. The designation should not be present in the existing list of the six RSMCs. The name of a storm that may pass on from one waterbody to another will not be changed.
The name is never re-used again. All the names that are used can have a maximum eight-letters and should not offend any country or group of people or customs.
The naming of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea started in September 2004. Before this, from the mid-1900s, feminine names were picked up for storms before switching to a list for a better organised process.
(With PTI inputs)
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