The WMO, the United Nations arm on weather, follows a specific naming convention for cyclones in the Indian Ocean region, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, which is different from the naming systems employed in other parts of the world.
According to the WMO, tropical cyclones in the Indian subcontinent are named based on a predetermined list of names suggested by member countries in the region. It’s important to note that the naming lists are shared among the member countries, and the names selected reflect the region’s cultural, social, and meteorological sensitivities. The purpose of naming cyclones is to facilitate easy communication and dissemination of information about these weather events to the public and various stakeholders.
KnowALLedge Plus: The 13 panel countries include: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The name ‘Biparjoy was given by Bangladesh. It means ‘calamity’ in the Bengali language. The next cyclone in the area would be called Tej — submitted by India.