Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes – Ockhi

ssc preparation, important competetion questions, current affairs of india, latest question asked in competetion papers,

In the yesteryears, you may have come across the words Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons. Most of us think that they are different terms, but in reality; they are the same natural phenomena that are named differently in different regions of the world. In Northeast Pacific and Atlantic, the term is a hurricane. In Northwest Pacific, the term for such a disturbance is typhoon and in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, people call it cyclones.

Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes – Definition

When you browse the Internet or read some metrological books, you will find another term – Tropical Cyclone. What is so Tropical about a Cyclone? one may ask.

By definition, Tropical Cyclone is a generic term used by meteorologists to describe a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation.

Now here is the interesting thing; when a tropical cyclone reaches the maximum sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or higher, then the tropical cyclone is termed as a Hurricane, Typhoon, or Cyclone.

Naming of Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes

Interestingly, you may have heard a name associated with a hurricane, typhoon, or cyclone. By and large, these names are given so that one can differentiate one natural phenomenon from the other. Let’s see how these natural phenomena are named.

• The naming of cyclones & Hurricanes started from 2000 by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
• Cyclones all over the world are named by 9 regions, viz. North Atlantic, Eastern North Pacific, Central North Pacific, Western North Pacific, North Indian Ocean, South West Indian Ocean, Australian, Southern Pacific, South Atlantic.
• 8 North Indian Ocean countries like Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand, give 8 names each.
• This makes a total of 64. One name from each country is picked in an order to name the Cyclones.

Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes – Ockhi

The Indian Meteorological Department or IMD Mumbai Observatory has issued a warning for rain and thunderstorm due to the cyclonic storm named Ockhi, which is almost 670 km south west of Mumbai. Cyclones are categorised by the maximum wind speed they are able to generate. Ockhi is described as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’, the third strongest category according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD)

• The name Ockhi means eye in Bangla.
• The name was given by Bangladesh.
• Another name for a cyclone was given by Bangladesh, Onil in 2004.

Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes – Disaster Management

• According to the Government, the disaster management cell of every region is fully equipped with the tools and equipment to handle all kinds of natural disasters.
• Competency and required manpower for such disaster management cells is always a question that the government is grappling with.]
• Budgets have been passed, high-level meetings have happened, people have been deployed.

List of Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes Hitting India

State	Cyclone Name	Year
Gujarat	Onil	2004
Tamil Nadu & Kerala	Fanoos	2005
Gujarat	Yemyin	2007
Andhra Pradesh	Yemyin	2007
Tamil Nadu	Nisha	2008
Andhra Pradesh	Khai-Muk	2008
Maharashtra	Phyan	2009
Andhra Pradesh	Laila	2010
Tamil Nadu	Thane	2011
Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu	Nilam	2012
Odisha	Phailin	2013
Andhra Pradesh	Lehar	2013
Andhra Pradesh	Helen	2013
Odisha & Andhra Pradesh	Hudhud	2014
Gujarat	Nilofar	2014
Odisha	Kyant	2016

These were some important facts on Ockhi & other Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes