Cyclone Yaas: How this monster storm got its unique name, identity

Meaning of Cyclone Yaas and How Cyclone Storms are Named: At the first hint of overcast skies, the eastern coastal belt of Odisha, West Bengal readies itself to face the wrath of mother nature. After Tauktae, which claimed several lives in Maharashtra, Gujrat, IMD has reported of yet another low-pressure area developing in the Andaman Seas and expected to make landfall in the form of ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ in West Bengal and Odisha.

As the Centre reviews the Disaster Management Preparedness of the state governments and NDRF, here’s looking what how tropic cyclones earn their name and what rules govern their naming

Each tropical cyclone has a name that has been decided years before it was born and just like human names, they too bear relevance with its nature.
The cyclone names are given by countries on a rotational basis. Yaas got its name from Oman. The word ‘Yass’ has its origin in the Persian language and means Jasmin in English.

Name game of storm monsters

If the speed of a cyclone is more than 34 nautical miles per hour then the authoritative agency gives it a special name. to arrest attention

World Meteorological Weather Organization and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia Pacific started the task of preparing names for impending cyclonic storms with suggestions from its member countries in 2000. India along with 12 other nations like Bangladesh, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan. Sri Lanka, Suadi Arabia, UAE are part of the panel.

Criteria for naming tropical cyclones

The Indian Meteorological Department names the cyclonic storms rising in the North Indian Ocean when their forecast says that the depression has intensified into cyclonic storms with 3-minute sustained wind speeds of at least 63 km per hour.

• The names are selected keeping the following criteria in mind
• The name should be gender, religion, culture, and politically neutral
• Should not be offensive, or hurt anyone’s sentiments
• Should be short, easy to pronounce
• Maximum length should be eight letters

A list of these names for tropical cyclones were exhausted last year with the ravaging Amphan that made landfall in May last year. The new list was released on April 202 and five names, Nisarga, Nivar, Gati, Burevi, Tauktae have already been utilized. Yass is the sixth name. The last cyclone name by India utilized was Gati that meant ‘speed.’ The storm made landfall in Somalia

Greater purpose of naming cyclones

The practice of naming tropical cyclones is meant to facilitate the effective communication of forecasts to the general public and take necessary measures to lessen all storm-related hazards and to reduce the confusion if more than one cyclone happens at the same time. Countries with the unique name of the storm can recognize the threat and take necessary precautionary measures to mitigate the damage.