How are tropical cyclones named?

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm that begins over a tropical ocean and can vary in speed, size, and intensity. They are also called hurricanes or typhoons, depending on the region. File (Representational image)

The cyclonic storm that is brewing over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ and is likely to intensify into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ on the morning of October 27, 2026, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The climate-monitoring agency says that the stormis “very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over west-central Bay of Bengal by midnight of today, the 26th October and into a very severe cyclonic storm over the same region on 27th October. Thereafter, it is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh & Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, as a very severe cyclonic storm with the maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph by forenoon of 28th October, 2026.”

The severe cyclonic storm will make landfall between the northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha coasts on the morning of October 28.

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm that begins over a tropical ocean and can vary in speed, size, and intensity. They are also called hurricanes or typhoons, depending on the region.

Tropical cyclones are the second-most dangerous natural hazards, after earthquakes, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

The WMO elaborates that the process of determining names for tropical cyclones is conducted by the relevant tropical cyclone regional body at its annual or biennial session.

There are five tropical cyclone regional bodies, which are:

These bodies establish pre-designated lists of names, the procedures for which can vary, with some regions using alphabetical order and others using the alphabetical order of country names. No tropical cyclone is named after an individual.

The WMO adds that the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) New Delhi Tropical Cyclone Centre is responsible for naming the tropical cyclones that have formed over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea when they have reached the relevant intensity.

Cyclones that form in the Northern Indian Ocean are named in a cyclical fashion by thirteen countries — Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

The classification of a tropical cyclone depends on its maximum sustained wind speed. They are designated as follows:

1. Tropical depression is when the maximum sustained windspeed is less than 63 km/hour.

2.Tropical storm is when the maximum sustained wind speed is more than 63 km/hour. It is then also given a name.

3. Hurricane, typhoon, tropical cyclone, very severe cyclonic storm, depending on the basin, when the maximum sustained wind speed exceeds 116 km/hour.

*All information has been taken by the World Meteorological Organisation’s website