Top 10 Cyclones That Recently Hit India kuchbhi.com/environment/top-10-cyclones-that-recently-hit-india.html Ajay Lulia
May 18, 2021
Tauktae just wreaked havoc in several Indian states. But have you wondered who gives the names to these cyclones and why are they named the way they are?
How Are Cyclones Named?
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Well, cyclones are named by RSMCs(Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres) and TCWCs( Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres). India’s IMD (India Meteorological Department) is one among the six RSMCs globally.
History of Naming Cyclones
The cyclones began getting names since the year 2000. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and USCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Panel on Tropical Cyclones decide on the cyclone names.
Countries Involved in Naming Cyclones India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, Pakistan, Oman, Thailand and Sri Lanka began naming cyclones in the year 2000. Another 5 nations namely Qatar, Iran, UAE , Saudi Arabia and Yemen joined in suggesting names in 2018. Let’s See Top 10 Cyclones That Recently Hit India and How They Were Named:
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1. Tauktae (May 2021) : Tauktae was named by Bangladesh, which means high pitched lizard in Burmese. 2. Okhi (November 2017): Okhi which originated in the Arabian Sea in November 2017, battered India and Sri Lanka was named by Bangladesh. Okhi means the ‘eye’ in Bengali. 3. Fani (April 2019) A strong cyclone hit the shores of Odisha, was again named by Bangladesh. Fani means ‘Snake’s hood’. 4. Vayu (Jun 2019) hit the coast of Gujarat. It was named by India, meaning Wind in Hindi and Sanskrit. 5. Nisarga ( Jun 2020) made a landfall in Mumbai. It was named by Bangladesh, meaning Nature. 6. Amphan (May2020) One of the super cyclonic storms, Amphan hit the shores of Odisha in May 2020. The name Amphan was given by Thailand, way back in 2020, which means the ‘sky’.
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7. Kyarr (Oct2019): The name Kyarr, which means Tiger in Burmese was given by Myanmar. The super cyclone hit Western India, UAE, Oman, Somalia and Socotra. 8. Maha (Jan 2019): Maha was a super cyclone that weakened later as it hit the Gujarat coast. The name Maha was given by Oman 9. Cyclone Hikka (Sept 2019): Cyclone Hikka was named by Maldives. The cyclone charted its way and hit Oman. 10. Cyclone Bulbul (Nov2019): Cyclone Bulbul was named by Pakistan. It hit West Bengal and Bangladesh. Despite cyclones creating havocs, it is necessary to give them names so as to identify them. Giving unique names to cyclones help in record keeping as well as disaster management.
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