Context-Cyclonic storm Hikka, that has been formed in the Arabian Sea, will reach Oman coast by the early morning of September 25.

What is cyclone

• The word Cyclone is derived from a Greek word cyclos, meaning coiling of snake. Tropical cyclone is a deep low pressure area wherein the central pressure falls 6 to 8 hPa (hectopascal) from the surroundings.Strong winds spiral around the centre and pick up speeds of 62 kmph or more. These winds rotate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Naming of cyclones:

• Each Tropical Cyclone basin in the world has its own rotating list of names.
• For cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, the naming system was agreed by eight member countries of a group called WMO/ESCAP and took effect in 2004.
• These eight countries are – Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand
• The first cyclone after the list was adopted was given the name in the first row of the first column — Onil, proposed by Bangladesh.
• Subsequent cyclones are being named sequentially, column-wise, with each cyclone given the name immediately below that of the previous cyclone.
• Once the bottom of the column is reached, the sequence moves to the top of the next column.
• So far, the first seven columns have been exhausted, and Fani (again proposed by Bangladesh) is the top name in the last column.
• The next cyclone will be named Vayu. When all the names in list are exhausted, the eight countries will propose fresh lists of names.
• The lists for storms in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins are, however, rotated when the names in the list get exhausted. Exception are, however, made in certain cases — if a storm causes excessive death and destruction, its name is considered for retirement and is not repeated; it is replaced with another name.
• According to the naming system, Hikka is the name given to a cyclone that follow Cyclone Vayu

Why naming of cyclones is done?

• Appending names to cyclones makes it easier for the media to report on these cyclones, heightens interest in warnings, and increases community preparedness.
• Names are easier to remember than numbers and technical terms and hence can reach greater masses.
• If public wants to suggest the name of a cyclone to be included in the list, the proposed name must meet some fundamental criteria. The name should be short and readily understood when broadcast. Further, the names must not be culturally sensitive and should not convey any unintended and potentially inflammatory meaning.

When did we start naming Cyclones?

• Names have been given to Atlantic storms for the past few hundreds of years. Initially, people living in the Caribbean Islands would name the storms after the saint of the day from the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar for the day on which the hurricane/cyclone occurred.
• The tradition continued till World War II, when forecasters and meteorologists started using female names to identify the storms. 
• In 1953, the US weather service officially adopted the idea and created a new phonetic alphabet (international) of women's names from A to W, leaving out Q, U, X, Y and Z. Subsequent protests by women's liberation bodies in the 60s and 70s helped change the naming procedure for the storms to include male names in 1978.
• The year's first tropical storm was given the name beginning with the letter "A", the second with the letter "B" and so on through the alphabet. In even-numbered years, odd-numbered storms got men's names and in odd-numbered years, odd-numbered storms got women's names.
• The naming of tropical cyclones is a recent phenomenon. The process of naming cyclones involves several countries in the region and is done under the aegis of the World Meteorological Organization.
• For the Indian Ocean region, deliberations for naming cyclones began in 2000 and a formula was agreed upon in 2004. Eight countries in the region - Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand - all contributed a set of names which are assigned sequentially whenever a cyclonic storm develops.