Sri Lanka names next Indian Ocean cyclone ‘Bandu’
May 20, 2010 02:31 pm
It might not be known when the next cyclone will hit the northern
Cyclones derive their names through a systematic procedure laid down by the
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for
Cyclone Laila, which developed in the Indian Ocean off the Andhra Pradesh
coast creating much havoc in the state, was named by
Eight north Indian Ocean countries –
“We give identity to the cyclones as per the list finalised by the WMO,” M. Mahopatra, director of the cyclone division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told IANS.
“The practice of naming storms (tropical cyclones) began years ago to help in their quick identification while issuing warnings because names are presumed to be far easier to remember than numbers or technical terms,” Mahopatra explained.
“When a hurricane hits these countries, the Regional Specialised
Meteorological Centre (RSMC), housed in the IMD office in
The countries take turns in naming the cyclones. The last six were: Nisha (
In the 1970s, the WMO in