Zafri Mudasser Nofil
Recent cyclones in the Indian Ocean region have been christened by unique and distinctive names like Nargis, Aila, Phailin, Helen, Hudhud and Nilofar.
The practice of naming storms or tropical cyclones began years ago to help in their quick identification in warning messages as names were found to be much easier to remember than the numbers and technical terms. Appending names to storms were also thought to be easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones and heighten interest in warnings and increase community preparedness, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The Indian Meterological Department (IMD) which issues cyclone advisors to eight countries has a list of names contributed by each of them. Every time a cyclone occurs, a name is picked in the order of the names that are already submitted. Each country gets a chance to name a cyclone. After all the countries get their turn, the next list of names is followed.
India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand provide names for cyclones in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. According to IMD, since the storms can often last a week or even longer and more than one cyclone can be occurring in the same region at the same time, names can reduce the confusion about what storm is being described, IMD has said.
The most recent cyclone Nilofar was named by Pakistan and the previous one Hudhud by Oman. Nilofar is a Persian word meaning lotus or water lily. Huhud was named after Israel’s national bird. Other cyclone names in the north Indian Ocean are Agni, Akash, Bijli, Jal, Lehar, Megh, Sagar and Vayu (all India); Onil, Ogni, Nisha, Giri, Chapala, Ockhi and Fani (all by Bangladesh); Hibaru, Gonu, Keila, Madi, Roanu, Mekunu and Hikaa (all Maldives); Pyarr, Yemyin, Phyan, Thane, Nanauk, Kyant, Daye and Kyarr (all Myanmar); Baaz, Sidr, Ward, Murjan, Nada, Luban and Maha (all Oman); Fanoos, Laila, Nilam, Vardah, Titli and Bulbul (all Pakistan); Mala, Rashmi, Bandu, Mahasen, Priya, Asiri, Gigum and Soba (Sri Lanka); and Mukda, Khai Muk, Phet, Phailin, Komen, Mora, Phethai and Amphan (all Thailand).
The first use of a proper name for a tropical cyclone was by an Australian forecaster early in the 20th century. He gave tropical cyclone names “after political figures whom he disliked. By properly naming a hurricane, the weatherman could publicly describe a politician (who perhaps was not too generous with weather-bureau appropriations) as ‘causing great distress’ or ‘wandering aimlessly about the Pacific’.”
In the beginning, storms were named arbitrarily. Then the mid-1900s saw the start of the practice of using feminine names for storms. In the pursuit of a more organised and efficient naming system, meteorologists later decided to identify storms using names from a list arranged alphabetically. Thus, a storm with a name which begins with A like Anne would be the first storm to occur in the year. Before the end of 1900s, forecasters started using male names for those forming in the Southern Hemisphere. Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists originated by the National Hurricane Center. They are now maintained and updated by an international committee of the World Meteorological Organisation.
Tropical cyclones or hurricanes are named neither after any particular person, nor with any preference in alphabetical sequence. The names selected are those that are familiar to the people in each region. The main purpose of naming a tropical cyclone or hurricane is basically for people to easily understand and remember them in a region and thus facilitate disaster risk awareness, preparedness, management and reduction.
Meteorological authorities follow a strict procedure to determine a list of tropical cyclone names in an ocean basin by the tropical cyclone regional body responsible for that basin.
In general, tropical cyclones are named according to the rules at a regional level. For instance, hurricane committee determines a predesignated list of hurricane names. The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones at its 27th session held in 2000 in Muscat agreed in principal to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. After long deliberations among the member countries, the naming of the tropical cyclones over north Indian Ocean commenced from September 2004. People can also suggest names of cyclones they want to be included in the list but the proposed names must meet some fundamental criteria.
The names should be short and readily understood when broadcast. Further the names must not be culturally sensitive and not convey some unintended and potentially inflammatory meaning. A storm causes so much death and destruction that its name is considered for retirement and hence is not used repeatedly, according to the IMD.
A tropical cyclone is a rotational low-pressure system in tropics when the central pressure falls by 5 to 6 hPa from the surrounding and maximum sustained wind speed reaches 34 knots (about 62 kmph). It is a vast violent whirl of 150 to 800 km, spiraling around a centre and progressing along the surface of the sea at a rate of 300 to 500 km a day. The word cyclone has been derived from Greek word ‘cyclos’ which means ‘coiling of a snake’. The word cyclone was coined by Heary Piddington who worked as a rapporteur in Kolkata during British rule. The terms “hurricane” and “typhoon” are region specific names for a strong “tropical cyclone”. Tropical cyclones are called “hurricanes” over the Atlantic Ocean and “typhoons” over the Pacific Ocean.
During World War II, tropical cyclones were informally given women’s names by US Army Air Corp and Navy meteorologists (after their girlfriends or wives) who were monitoring and forecasting tropical cyclones over the Pacific. From 1950 to 1952, tropical cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean were identified by the phonetic alphabet (Able- Baker-Charlie-etc.), but in 1953 the US Weather Bureau switched to women’s names. In 1979, the WMO and the US National Weather Service (NWS) switched to a list of names that also included men’s names, the IMD website says.
The Northeast Pacific basin tropical cyclones were named using women’s names starting in 1959 for storms near Hawaii and in 1960 for the remainder of the Northeast Pacific basin. In 1978, both men’s and women’s names were utilised.
The Northwest Pacific basin tropical cyclones were given women’s names officially starting in 1945 and men’s names were also included beginning in 1979. Beginning on 1 January 2000, tropical cyclones in the Northwest Pacific basin are being named from a new and very different list of names. The new names are Asian names and were contributed by all the nations and territories that are members of the WMO’s Typhoon Committee, the IMD says. – PTI FEATURE
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