Who chooses the names of storms and hurricanes ..? A question is circulating among millions of people following the weather, storms and cyclones in the region, including tropical cyclone Maha currently active in the Gulf of Oman, and before it cyclone Kiar, which had some indirect effects on the east coast of the country.
Emirates Today sought an answer to this question through the National Meteorological Center. Majid Nasser, a member of the Northern Indian Ocean, Sea of Oman and Gulf of Bengal Storm and Cyclone Names Committee, said: “The names of storms and cyclones are not chosen randomly or locally. , Until the UAE and four other countries joined it last year, bringing the number of its members to 13 countries.
"Each year, each member of the committee selects a name for a storm and all the names are placed on a list similar to the periodic table, so that each name is used in alphabetical order," he said. In the table prepared in advance, "stressing that the name of the storm is not required to be selected by the countries that pass through or affected by them.
Regarding the rules and mechanisms for selecting storm names, Nasser said: "Initially, no storm is given a name in the northern Indian Ocean, the Sea of Oman or the Bay of Bengal, except when it becomes tropical, according to the rates of wind speed resulting from it. The names already listed on the list by the Committee in descending order (from top to bottom). Each member of the Committee is assigned to choose a name for a storm, provided that the name is easy to pronounce and does not have any political, religious, racial or racial meaning or use, The full names are then presented to the Committee for consideration and adoption, to be developed The list is ready to use in order. "
“Given the region's most recent tropical storm, Maha, which has evolved into a second-degree tropical cyclone, Oman chose this name according to its role in the name selection table. Prior to this was tropical storm Kiar, which turned into a cyclone. Days ago it was Myanmar that chose that name. Hurricane Heka was named by the Maldives, and Cyclone Vaio was a name for India.