Asani is a name given by Sri Lanka. But how are the names of cyclones decided? We take a look, as evacuations begin in Andaman and Nicobar Islands where heavy rainfall is predicted
The NDRF team swings into action in the Andamans ahead of Cyclone Asani. Image Courtesy: @NDRFHQ/Twitter
2022 first’s cyclone in India – Cyclone Asani – is set to form over the Bay of Bengal on Monday. Rescue teams are on high alert amid warnings of heavy rain over Andaman and Nicobar Islands. While the point of landfall is not yet clear, strong winds with a speed of 56 to 65 kmph are likely to cause destruction. People living along the coast have been evacuated, as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Port Blair and the army and navy are on standby.
In a tweet on Monday morning, the Indian Metrological Department (IMD) said that the depression over Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal will “intensify further into a cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours”.
An advisory has been issued to fishermen not to venture into the seas, as the islands get ready to brace the cyclone. Disruption of power lines, flooding of roads, and landslides are expected once the cyclone hits.
As the Andaman and Nicobar Islands prepare for the storm, we take a look at how Asani got its name and how are cyclones usually named.
The naming of Cyclone Asani
The names of cyclones might sound random, but there’s some serious thought that goes into them. Cyclone Asani is a name given by Sri Lanka. In Sinhala, the word “Asani’ means wrath.
In April 2020, the Indian Metrological Department released a list of 169 names of cyclones that would originate in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The names are decided by the regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs). The IMD is among six RSMCs in the world; there are five TCWCs.
The IMD names cyclones that form over the north Indian Ocean.
When did the naming start?
The decision to start naming cyclones in Asia and the Pacific came about in the year 2000. The World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP), a group of nations comprising India, Pakistan Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Oman, the Maldives, and Thailand, took that call. In 2018, five more nations Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen joined the group. Each country sends in suggestions for names and a panel finalises them, according to a report in The Indian Express.
The names usually carry some meaning. Tauktae, which hit the west coast of India in May 2021 and became the strongest cyclone to make a landfall in Gujarat since 1998, was the name given by Myanmar and it roughly translates to lizard. It was followed by Cyclone Yaas, which lashed India and Bangladesh, and was named by Oman. Yaas refers to a tree.
Why are cyclones named?
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, a United Nations agency that looks into weather, climate, and water resources, tropical cyclones can last for a week or more; therefore there can be more than one cyclone at a time. Weather forecasters give each tropical cyclone a name to avoid confusion.
This makes it easier for those involved from the public to the scientific community to understand and remember the name of the cyclone hitting their region. It facilitates disaster risk awareness, preparedness, management and reduction.
Nations in the Northern Indian Ocean began using a new system for naming tropical cyclones in 2000; the names are listed alphabetically country wise, and are gender neutral, says WMO.
However there are rules to naming cyclones. Countries sending in their suggestions have to ensure that the names are neutral to politics and political figures, religious beliefs, cultures, and gender. The names should not hurt the sentiments of any group of people across the world.
The names should not be rude or cruel in nature. It should be short, easy to pronounce, and not offensive. The name should not exceed eight letters and should be provided with the correct pronunciation and a voiceover.
The names of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean cannot be repeated.
The names suggested by India
India has provided 13 names for tropical cyclones. They include Gati, Tej, Murasu, Aag, Vyom, Jhar (pronounced Jhor), Probaho, Neer, Prabhanjan, Ghurni, Ambud, Jaladhi and Vega, reports The Indian Express.
After Cyclone Asani, named by Sri Lanka, the next turn will be Thailand’s. It has suggested the name Sitrang.
With inputs from agencies
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