The recent cyclone on east coast of India was called 'Phailin'. How are the tropical cyclones named across…

Question

The recent cyclone on east coast of India was called 'Phailin'. How are the tropical cyclones named across the world? Elaborate.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Tropical cyclones are named from lists agreed in advance under the WMO, with six regional centres and five warning centres each naming storms in their basin once winds reach about 34 knots. Phailin came from the North Indian Ocean list of 64 names that eight countries contributed from 2004.

**Introduction**

Phailin, Thai for "sapphire" and Thailand's contribution, hit Odisha near Gopalpur in October 2013. Like every tropical cyclone, it took its name from a list agreed in advance under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), since a name spreads warnings faster than a number.

**How the WMO System Assigns Cyclone Names**

SKETCH: tree | WMO Cyclone Naming Network
- WMO
  - RSMC New Delhi (IMD)
  - RSMC Miami (NHC)
  - RSMC Tokyo (JMA)
  - RSMC La Reunion
  - RSMC Nadi and TCWCs

1. **Regional responsibility**: Six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres and five Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres name storms from lists fixed by their regional committees.
2. **Threshold and norms**: A system is named once its sustained winds reach about 34 knots (63 km/h); names must be short, easy to pronounce and neutral in every member country.
3. **Retirement**: Names of very destructive storms, such as Katrina (2005) and Haiyan (2013), are withdrawn.

**Naming Conventions Across the Ocean Basins**

1. **North Indian Ocean**: IMD's New Delhi centre uses the WMO/ESCAP Panel list, to which eight countries gave 64 names from 2004; Phailin was one. The panel grew to 13 members in 2018 and began a new list of 169 names in 2020, and names are never reused.
2. **North Atlantic**: The US National Hurricane Center rotates six alphabetical lists of alternating male and female names every six years.
3. **Western Pacific and South**: The Typhoon Committee's 140 names run in sequence, while Australia, Fiji and La Reunion keep their own southern lists.

**Conclusion**

A decentralised but uniform WMO system turns technical bulletins into warnings people remember. Phailin proved the value: a well-tracked, widely publicised storm let Odisha evacuate close to a million people and keep deaths in the tens.

The recent cyclone on east coast of India was called 'Phailin'. How are the tropical cyclones named across the world? Elaborate.

Model answer

Practise this question

Climate12 questions

Ghissu