How did Cyclone Arnab get its name?
What's the story
Cyclone Arnab has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall on India's eastern coast on Wednesday. The name "Arnab," which means "ocean" or "sea" in Bengali, was proposed by Bangladesh as part of a pre-approved list for naming cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region. The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones maintains a list of names contributed by its 13 member countries and used sequentially when naming storms.
Naming protocol
Who names the cyclones?
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is responsible for naming cyclones in this region.
A weather system is named only after it reaches cyclonic storm strength, with maximum sustained winds of at least 34 knots (about 62km/h).
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) mandates that names must be short and neutral to avoid offending any community.
Once a name is used, it's permanently removed from the list.
Crisis management
Why is it important to name a cyclone?
The WMO emphasizes the importance of assigning short, distinctive names to cyclones for effective crisis management.
This practice helps avoid confusion with complex geographic coordinates, especially when multiple weather systems develop over the ocean simultaneously, and makes it easier for disaster management authorities to issue evacuation orders.
It also aids media reporting and public understanding of impending dangers.
Cyclone strength
How strong will Cyclone Arnab be?
The IMD has forecast maximum sustained winds of 115-125km/h, with gusts reaching 140km/h, when the storm crosses the coast.
Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected over northern and central coastal Andhra Pradesh and southern parts of Odisha, as per Reuters.
The storm has the potential to uproot trees, disrupt electricity and communications, and cause waterlogging or flooding in low-lying areas.