Published By: Sayan Paul

Cyclone 'Dana' Heading To Bengal-Odisha Coast: Know How It Got The Name, And The Science Behind Cyclone Formation

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone is expected to intensify by October 23 and hit the West Bengal-Odisha coast by October 24 morning.

The season's first cyclone is here. According to the IMD, a Low-Pressure Area is likely to form over the East-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining the north Andaman Sea within the next 24 hours, and move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression by October 22 morning, and into a cyclonic storm by October 23, 2024, over East-central Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, it may move northwestwards and reach the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha-West Bengal coasts by October 24 morning.

"... according to the prediction made on Sunday, the cyclonic storm may intensify into a severe cyclonic storm. The wind speed may reach up to 100kmph to 120kmph," an IMD statement said.

Credit: India Meteorological Department

Named Cyclone 'Dana', it's expected to bring heavy rainfall along the Bengal-Odisha coast. The sea conditions will likely be rough throughout this period, while wind speeds will reach 100-110 km/h, with gusts reaching up to 120 km/h from the night of October 24 to the morning of October 25. An orange alert has been issued for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while yellow alerts for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa.

Well, the name 'Dana' has been suggested by Qatar, and it means a beautiful, precious pearl. In this article, let's learn how the cyclone got its name and the science behind cyclone formations.

How Cyclone Dana Got Its Name

Since 2004, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has been determining names for cyclones that form in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

There's a panel of 13 countries - India, Iran, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates - involved in the process. Each country suggests four names for upcoming cyclones, which are arranged alphabetically and can be used sequentially. These names are usually short, simple, easy to pronounce, culturally sensitive, and neutral to gender, politics, or religion. The maximum length of the name is eight letters. Also, these names cannot be repeated.

Whenever a cyclone is formed, the next available name from the sequence is assigned to it. In that way, the upcoming cyclone in the Bay of Bengal is named Dana, as suggested by Qatar. The subsequent ones will be named Fengal (suggested by Saudi Arabia), Shakti (Sri Lanka), etc.

Credit: Argus News

Notably, the panel members will suggest new names once all existing ones are used.

The Science Behind Cyclone Formation

There's a complex process behind the formation of a cyclone over the sea. When the surface water temperatures get warm, it heats the air above it and forms an area of low pressure. This leads to winds all around converging and rotating, reinforcing the low-pressure zone at the surface. Due to the Coriolis Effect, the winds rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

As the whole thing intensifies and becomes more organized, it is classified as a tropical depression. When the wind speed escalates between 39 mph and 73 mph, it's called a tropical storm. And when it strengthens further and exceeds 73 mph, it turns into a cyclone.

Credit: Knowledge Zone

As far as Dana is concerned, it all started with the formation of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the North Andaman Sea and the adjoining Bay of Bengal. It formed a low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Andaman Sea, leading to the cyclone.