Cyclone Murasu heads through Bay of Bengal, 1st Tamil name
A new cyclone called Murasu is heading toward India through the Bay of Bengal, and it's making history as the first Tamil name assigned to a tropical cyclone.
The name, suggested by Chennai's Regional Meteorological Centre, comes from a traditional drum used in Tamil culture to sound warnings, a fitting nod to both heritage and purpose.
WMO chooses easily pronounced cyclone names
Cyclone names for this region started back in 2004, but after the original list ran out, new suggestions were invited from coastal states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
< em>Murasu, along with names like Gati and Tej, was picked by the World Meteorological Organization for ease of pronunciation.
S. Balachandran, former additional director general of meteorology, said they wanted names that really communicate well, something that connects with people when it matters most.