Cyclone Nivar? The History and Process of Naming Devastating Cyclones
Why Cyclone Nivar? The History and Process of Naming Devastating Cyclones Representational image Cyclone Nivar is set to sweep Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and southern Karnataka with heavy rains, strong winds and coastal flooding on Wednesday and Thursday. Amphan, Fani, Titli, Bulbul, Ocki and Gaja... In the past few years, India has witnessed quite a few strong cyclones, thanks to the warming waters over the North Indian Ocean. But, one may wonder why and how these devastating storms are given such catchy names. History of naming cyclones The history of naming hurricanes dates back to the early 19th century with people naming storms after the places they hit, names of the saints on whose day the hurricane occurred, or simply the year of their occurrence. The practise of naming tropical cyclones is said to be initiated by well-known meteorologist Clement Wragge during the late 19th century. In the beginning, storms were named arbitrarily. For instance, a storm over the Atla