Naming of Cyclones

Cyclones are large-scale air masses that rotate around a strong centre of low atmospheric pressure, typically forming over warm tropical oceans. The naming of these systems is an important practice adopted to aid in communication, public awareness, and disaster management. The system of naming cyclones follows internationally agreed conventions and regional coordination through meteorological organisations.

Historical Background

The practice of naming cyclones began as a means to simplify the identification of storms. In the early 20th century, meteorologists often used latitude-longitude coordinates to locate storms, but this method was cumbersome and prone to confusion. During the Second World War, meteorologists in the United States began naming Pacific storms after their wives or girlfriends for easier reference. The practice was later formalised, with female names first adopted officially in 1953 for the North Atlantic region.
By 1979, both male and female names began to be alternated in storm lists to promote gender balance. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an agency of the United Nations, assumed responsibility for maintaining the lists of cyclone names for each oceanic region. Today, the naming of tropical cyclones is a globally coordinated process managed through WMO’s regional tropical cyclone committees.

Purpose and Importance of Naming

The naming of cyclones serves several essential purposes:

• Ease of communication: Names are easier to recall and communicate than technical numbers or coordinates, particularly during emergencies.
• Public awareness: Assigning a name draws public attention and helps convey warnings more effectively.
• Clarity in reports: Reduces confusion when multiple cyclones occur simultaneously within a region.
• Historical record: Enables clear identification and documentation of cyclones for future reference and study.

The use of short, distinctive names also facilitates international coordination of warnings and media reporting.

Regional Naming Conventions

Tropical cyclones are named according to the basin in which they form. The world’s oceans are divided into several cyclone basins, each managed by a Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) or Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre (TCWC). These centres operate under the supervision of the WMO.

• North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific: The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) assigns names. Six rotating lists of 21 names each are used, excluding the letters Q, U, X, Y, and Z.
• Western Pacific: The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Typhoon Committee oversee the naming. The names are contributed by 14 member countries and include not only human names but also animals, flowers, and mythological terms.
• North Indian Ocean: The naming process is coordinated by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which acts as the RSMC for this region. Thirteen countries, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and others, contribute names in advance.
• South-West Indian Ocean: The names are maintained by Meteo-France based in La Réunion.
• Australian region: The Bureau of Meteorology and associated TCWCs in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea handle the naming of cyclones.
• South Pacific: Managed by RSMCs in Fiji and New Zealand.

Each regional list is prepared years in advance, with names used sequentially when a cyclone forms. Once the end of the list is reached, naming restarts from the beginning, excluding retired names.

Criteria and Rules for Naming

The guidelines for naming tropical cyclones follow standardised principles:

• A name is assigned only when a tropical system attains sustained wind speeds of 34 knots (63 km/h) or more, officially classifying it as a tropical storm or cyclone.
• Names must be short, distinctive, and easily pronounceable across different languages in the region.
• Offensive, controversial, or culturally insensitive names are strictly prohibited.
• The lists are periodically reviewed, and countries may suggest changes when needed.
• Retirement of names occurs when a cyclone causes severe destruction or loss of life; this ensures sensitivity to the affected population. For instance, names such as Katrina (2005), Haiyan (2013), and Amphan (2020) have been retired.

Cyclone Naming in the North Indian Ocean

The system for naming cyclones in the North Indian Ocean began in 2004. Each of the 13 participating nations submits a set of names arranged alphabetically by country. The IMD, based in New Delhi, releases the list and assigns names sequentially when cyclones form over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
Examples of recent names include:

• Fani (Bangladesh)
• Titli (Pakistan)
• Gaja (Sri Lanka)
• Amphan (Thailand)
• Tauktae (Myanmar)

The process follows regional equity, ensuring all member countries contribute to the naming scheme. When the list is exhausted, a new set of names is proposed and approved by the WMO’s regional committee.

Retired and Replaced Names

A name is retired when a cyclone has been so deadly or costly that its future use would be inappropriate due to emotional or cultural reasons. Replacement names are proposed by the same country that suggested the retired name. Retired names are therefore unique identifiers of significant meteorological events. For instance:

• Katrina (2005, Atlantic)
• Haiyan (2013, Western Pacific)
• Nargis (2008, North Indian Ocean)
• Amphan (2020, North Indian Ocean)

The retirement of names serves both commemorative and practical purposes, allowing future records to remain distinct.

Public Communication and Impact

Naming has greatly enhanced the effectiveness of public communication during emergencies. Meteorological departments, media outlets, and international relief agencies use the cyclone’s name to issue warnings, coordinate evacuation plans, and mobilise relief operations. Studies have shown that named storms attract faster public attention and compliance with safety measures.
However, occasional misunderstandings have arisen. In some regions, people perceive named storms differently based on gender or familiarity of the name. To mitigate such biases, WMO maintains a strict neutral naming policy based on rotation, rather than personal or cultural associations.