•Cyclone Dana: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted Cyclone “Dana” to become a severe cyclonic storm by October 23, 2024, affecting Odisha & West Bengal.
•Cyclone: A cyclone is a large system of rotating winds around a low-pressure center.
•Formation: Cyclones form over warm ocean waters (above 26.5°C) due to rising warm air, which forms clouds and releases energy powering storm.
•Tropical cyclones: Tropical cyclones are those which develop in the regions between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
•Wind Speed: Severe cyclonic storms have wind speeds between 89-117 km/h.
•Impact: Cyclones cause heavy rain, strong winds, and storm surges, leading to flooding, damage to buildings, and community displacement.
•Conditions for the formation of cyclone
1.Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C,
2.Presence of the Coriolis force enough to create a cyclonic vortex,
3.Small variations in the vertical wind speed,
4.A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation,
5.Upper divergence above the sea level system, rotation.
• Recent Cyclones and Their Naming Countries:
Remal – Oman; Asna – Pakistan, Dana – Qatar
•Significance of naming: Naming tropical cyclones has proven to be the fastest way to communicate warnings and raise public awareness and preparedness. Naming also helps avoid confusion among meteorologists, media, emergency management agencies and the public.
•World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has developed strict procedures to determine a list of tropical cyclone names