NAMING OF TROPICAL CYCLONES
UPSC GS MAINS IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
The recent cylcone on the east coast of India was called "Phailin". How are the tropical cyclones named across the world . Elaborate.
The naming of tropical cyclones is a recent phenomenon. The process involves several countries in the region and is done under the aegis of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) .
The WMO has divided the world oceans into Basins and assigned the responsibility of naming the cyclones to the respective regional bodies. There are 5 such regional bodies called Regional Specialized Meteorological Centers (RSMC).
World Meteorological Organization maintains rotating lists of names which are appropriate for each Tropical Cyclone basin. The RSMC follow their own rules for naming cyclones. Some rotate the same list every 6 years while some prefer male and female names. If a cyclone is particularly deadly or costly, then its name is retired and replaced by another one. eg. Katrina .
Indian Meteorological department is responsible for assigning names to the tropical cyclones occurring in the North Indian Ocean.
The naming of tropical cyclones helps in quick identification of storms in warning messages because local names are far easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones, heightens interest in warnings and increases community preparedness.
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