Cyclone Tej
Source: PIB
GS II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate
Overview
- News in Brief
- What is a Tropical Cyclone?
- How is a cyclone named?
Why in the News?
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that Cyclone Tej, a depression gathering force in the Arabian Sea, intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm near the coasts of Oman and Yemen.
News in Brief
- Intensified to ESCS moved NW at 0830 hrs IST of 22 Oct about 160 km E-SE of Socotra (Yemen), 540 km S-SE of Salalah (Oman) & 550 km SE of Al Ghaidah (Yemen).
- Likely to move NW and cross coasts between Al Ghaidah & Salalah around noon of 24 Oct as a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS).
About Cyclone Tej
- Cyclone Tej was named by India.
- It is formed along with Cyclone Hamoon and is considered a rare phenomenon in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal in which they both experience cyclonic storms.
- IMD began monitoring the potential for the formation of cyclonic circulation in the Arabian Sea.
What is a Tropical Cyclone?
- A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure centre, 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.
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 name 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.
- In later years the member countries increased to 13 combined releasing 169 names of cyclones with 13 names from each country.
- 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).
Daily Current Affairs: Click Here