Cyclone Tauktae likely to hit Maharashtra-Goa coast: How are cyclones named?

Cyclone Tauktuae is named after the Burmese word for gecko, a loud-mouthed tropical lizard

Potentially the first cyclonic storm of the year Tauktae could be taking shape in a low pressure area on the east-central Arabian Sea, which could intensify and hit the coast of Gujarat over the next 10 days, weather forecasters at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have said.

The IMD has issued a warning of light to moderate rainfall over Lakshadweep, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu starting Thursday and lasting till May 16. Fishermen from these coastal states have been advised against going to sea from Friday and those already out at sea have been urged to return by Wednesday night.

Last year, India had witnessed two cyclones by May named Amphan in the Bay of Bengal, and Nisarga in the Arabian Sea. Here’s a look at how meteorologists name cyclones:

The word “Tauktae” is a Burmese word, suggested by Myanmar, which means gecko, a lizard known for its distinctive vocalisations. The name is the fourth from a new list of 169 names released by the IMD last year.

Last year’s “Amphan” was the final name used from the previous list. Pronounced as “Um-pun”, the word means sky and was suggested by Thailand in 2004, while Bangladesh suggested the name for cyclone Fani that pounded the Odisha coast in 2019, meaning snake’s hood.

Across the world, cyclones are named by regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) in the regions of their formation. There are six RSMCs in the world, including the IMD, and five TCWCs.

The IMD names cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean, which includes the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, in keeping with standard procedure. The IMD also issues cyclone advisories to the 12 other countries in the region.

The IMD assigns names to cyclones in the regions from a pool of names from 13 nations in the region collectively known as WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), which comprises Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

All the countries in the WMO/ESCAP suggest future names for cyclones and the list is compiled by the IMD and released publicly.

The fundamental criteria of a name being deemed as acceptable are that the name should be short and readily understood when broadcasted. The names definitely must not be culturally sensitive or convey some unintended and potentially inflammatory meaning.

Based on the list, the next few cyclones will be named Yaas, Gulaab, Shaheen and Jawad.