Overview:

• Meteorologists have predicted that the cyclone will move towards the north.
• The name of the cyclone has been given by Sri Lanka and “Ashani” translates to “Wrath” in the Sinhala language.

Reasons for the formation of cyclones over the Bay of Bengal

The sea surface humidity, as well as temperature, is related to the development of cyclones, hence, the Bay of Bengal acts as a good location for the formation of cyclones as this region receives more rainfall along with slow breezes that keep the temperature reasonably warm all year. The warm air currents help in cyclone development as it raises the temperature of the surface.

Naming of cyclones

The names and lists of cyclones are maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) international council. They also update this list of names. In the original list, only female names were added. In 1979, male names were added to be used for the naming of cyclones. The naming lists are used alternatively. In a rotating fashion, six different lists are being utilized to name the cyclones.

How are cyclones formed?

Cyclogenesis plays an important role in the formation of cyclones. Wet and warm air at the surface of the ocean rises higher. This causes a zone of low pressure near the surface. Due to this, cold air from the surrounding areas flows into the area of low pressure which causes the cold air to turn warm and wet causing it to rise. The cycle continues which results in cloud development. This wind and cloud system then expand as well as rotates which culminates into a cyclone.