BharatNotes What is Tropical Cyclone Naming?
Tropical cyclone naming is the system of giving a short, recognisable name to a cyclonic storm once it intensifies enough to warrant a name. In the North Indian Ocean, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), acting as the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) New Delhi, assigns the name when a system attains a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 62 km/h or more (IMD criteria, 2020 list). The names come from a fixed list agreed by the member countries of the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones.
A named storm is far easier to track and communicate than a technical identifier, which reduces confusion during warnings and helps disaster managers, media and the public respond quickly — especially when multiple systems are active at once.
How the North Indian Ocean System Works
Formal naming in the basin (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea) began in September 2004; "Onil" was the first named cyclone. The original list had 64 names, contributed by eight countries (eight names each).
A revised list of 169 names was adopted in April 2020, with 13 member countries of the WMO/ESCAP Panel each contributing 13 names. RSMC New Delhi is one of six RSMCs worldwide mandated by the WMO to track cyclones and issue advisories, and it provides tropical cyclone and storm-surge advisories to all 13 member countries.
| Feature | Detail (as of April 2020 list) |
|---|---|
| Naming agency for basin | RSMC New Delhi / IMD |
| Names in current list | 169 |
| Member countries | 13 |
| Names per country | 13 |
| First named cyclone | Onil (2004) |
| Naming threshold | Wind speed ≥ 62 km/h |
The 13 contributing countries are Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Names are used sequentially as new cyclones form.
Criteria for Selecting a Name
The WMO/ESCAP Panel lays down clear guidelines so that names are inoffensive and easy to use. A proposed name should:
- Be neutral to politics and political figures, religious beliefs, cultures and gender.
- Not hurt the sentiments of any group, and not be rude or cruel.
- Be short, easy to pronounce and not offensive to any member.
- Have a maximum length of eight letters.
Crucially, in the North Indian Ocean, names are not repeated — unlike the Atlantic basin, where names are reused on a rotating cycle and only retired after exceptionally deadly storms. Each name in the North Indian Ocean list is used only once.
Why It Matters for the Exam
For UPSC, the value lies in the procedure and institutions rather than the name list itself. Remember that IMD/RSMC New Delhi names cyclones for 13 countries, that the current list dates from 2020, and that naming supports India's cyclone early-warning and disaster-preparedness framework. Linking this to the differing cyclone behaviour of the Bay of Bengal (more frequent) and the Arabian Sea makes it useful across GS1 geography and GS3 disaster management.
