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22nd October 2024 (12 Topics)

Dana, Severe Cyclonic Storm

Context

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced the development of a low-pressure system over the East-central Bay of Bengal, which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, named "Dana".

The Naming of Cyclones

  • The process of naming cyclones in the North Indian Ocean follows a structured convention initiated by the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones.
  • Countries Involved
    • Original Group: In 2000, a group comprising Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand began naming cyclones.
    • Expansion: In 2018, the panel expanded to include Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen.
    • Total Names: The IMD has a list of 169 cyclone names, with 13 suggestions from each of the 13 member countries.
  • Naming Conventions: Countries must adhere to specific guidelines when proposing names:
    • Neutrality: Names should not reference political figures, religions, or cultures.
    • Sensitivity: Names must not offend any global population group.
    • Length: Names should be short, easy to pronounce, and contain no more than eight letters.
    • Originality: A name cannot be repeated until all others on the list have been used.
    • Pronunciation: Each proposed name must include its pronunciation.
  • Naming cyclones serves several important purposes:
    • Memorability: Names are easier to remember than numbers or technical terms.
    • Awareness: Named storms facilitate public awareness and media reporting.
    • Preparedness: They enhance community preparedness by enabling rapid dissemination of warnings, especially during multiple cyclonic events.

Fact Box: What are Cyclones?

  • A cyclone is a large-scale system of air that rotates around the centre of a low-pressure area
  • The cyclone forms around the low-pressure area, called a depression, along a zone of cold and warm air exchange called the ‘eye wall’. The eye is the central and calmest part of the cyclone. 
  • From this eye wall, long, arching cloud and rain systems called rainbands spiral outwards, which bring alternating periods of intense rain and calm spells during a cyclone.
  • The air circulates inward in an:
    • anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere
    • clockwise in the Southern hemisphere
  • Cyclones are classified as:
    • Extra tropical cyclones (also called temperate cyclones): They occur outside of the tropic. They have “cold air at their core, and derive their energy from the release of potential energy when cold and warm air masses interact”
    • Tropical cyclones: Tropical cyclones are those which develop in the regions between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer
  • India is exposed to nearly 10 per cent of the world’s tropical cyclones.  More cyclones occur in the Bay of Bengal than the Arabian Sea and the ratio is approximately 4:1. 
  • Worldwide terminology: Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world – They are known as:
    • Typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean
    • Hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
    • Tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA
    • Willy-willies in north-western Australia
    • Tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean
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