Cyclone Yaas
Source : Down To Earth
GS I : Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
GS III : Disaster and disaster management.

Why in News ?

As the low-pressure area in the North Andaman Seas likely to intensify as Cyclonic Storm Yaas

• It is barely a week after Cyclone Tauktae

Key Facts

• It has warned wind speed could range from 155 kilometres an hour (kmph) to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph.
• The intensity of Cyclone Yaas is likely to be similar to that of Cyclone Amphan.
• Disaste Management and Preparedness 
  • Flood relief teams and diving teams are prepositioned.
  • Naval ships are on standby with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) bricks, diving, and medical teams to render assistance in the most affected areas along the Odisha and West Bengal coast.
  • Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has mobilised its assets.

What is a Tropical Cyclone?

• A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain.
• Tropical cyclones typically form over large bodies of relatively warm water.
• They derive their energy through the evaporation of water from the ocean surface, which ultimately recondenses into clouds and rain.
• The strong rotating winds of a tropical cyclone are a result of the conservation of angular momentum imparted by the Earth’s rotation as air flows inwards toward the axis of rotation.
• Tropical cyclones are typically between 100 and 2,000 km (62 and 1,243 mi) in diameter.
• Wind blowing counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The opposite direction of circulation is due to the Coriolis effect.

The name ‘Yaas’ was suggested by Oman and refers to a tree with good fragrance and in English, the word is similar to Jasmine.

How is a cyclone named?

• Who/Authority : World Meteorological Organisation, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC).
• Why naming cyclone ?
  • Avoid confusion if two or more cyclones are occurring simultaneously over the region.
  • Naming helps in future reference.
• Who are the member countries ? : India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• Naming from the list
  • With 8 countries in 2004 there was a list of 64 names eight names from each country.
  • Later years the member countries increased to 13 combined released 169 names of cyclones with 13 names from each countries.
• Conditions for naming :
  • Names of the cyclones should be short, simple and easily understood.
  • Culturally sensitive or convey any inflammatory meaning.
• India has, so far, proposed the names Gati (speed), Tej (speed), Marasu (musical instrument in Tamil), Aag (fire), Jhar (storm), Ghurni (whirlpool), Vega (speed) and Neer (water).
• Tauktae name was suggested by Myanmar which in Burmese means gecko, a highly vocal lizard.
• The next cyclone after Yaas is likely to be named Gulab, suggested by Pakistan.

Daily Current Affairs : Click Here

See Also : Bay of Bengal has turned into the tropical cyclone ‘Maarutha’