Cyclone Asani, formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal, further intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on May 9 as it moved northwestwards in the direction of north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts.
Facts about Cyclone Asani
- Cyclone Asani storm was named by Sri Lanka. It means ‘wrath’ in Sinhalese.
Naming of cyclone
- Cyclones can last for more than a week and sometimes, multiple cyclones exist at a given time. Hence, different names are given to prevent confusion among weather forecasters.
- In 2020, India Meteorological Department (IMD) published a list of 169 probable names of tropical storms after holding discussions with 13 World Meteorological Organization’s member countries.
- Each country got to suggest 13 names. The countries get to name cyclones based on the place of origin.
- In the Atlantic and in the Southern hemisphere (Indian ocean and South Pacific), tropical cyclones receive names in alphabetical order, and women and men’s names are alternated.
- Nations in the Northern Indian ocean began using a new system for naming tropical cyclones in 2000. The names are listed alphabetically country wise, and are neutral gender wise.
Several conditions are needed for a tropical cyclone to form:
- High sea temperatures of at least 27°C.
- Converging winds near the ocean surface forcing air to rise and form storm clouds.
- Winds that do not vary greatly with height – known as low wind shear. This allows the storm clouds to rise vertically to high levels;
- Sufficient distance from the equator for a spin such as the Coriolis force to take effect.
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