Cyclone Dana: How Did The Storm That Hit Odisha

By Fnf correspondent | PUBLISHED: 25, Oct 2024, 17:53 pm IST | UPDATED: 25, Oct 2024, 17:53 pm IST

New Delhi: Cyclone Dana made landfall on the Odisha coast on Thursday night, and the landfall was complete on Friday morning, and the system took at least eight and a half hours to enter the landmass.

Heavy rains packed with gusty winds lashed parts of southern West Bengal as the landfall process of the severe cyclonic storm “Dana” continued to tear through the Odisha coast since midnight.

The name ‘Dana’ or Danah is an Arabic word that holds cultural importance in Arabic culture. Dana means 'generosity. It signifies ‘the most perfectly sized, valuable, and beautiful pearl.’ It is mostly found in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

The cyclone’s name, Dana, was suggested by Qatar according to the Tropical Cyclone Naming System rules laid by the WMO. The names are decided based on the standard convention of naming a region’s tropical cyclones.

According to WMO, assigning names to tropical cyclones makes tracking and discussing specific storms more “straightforward, especially when multiple storms are active simultaneously.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the process of naming tropical cyclones is carried out by the relevant tropical cyclone regional body at its annual/biennial session.

There are five tropical cyclone regional bodies, i.e., ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee, RA IV Hurricane Committee, and RA V Tropical Cyclone Committee.

These bodies establish pre-designated lists of names, which are proposed by WMO Members’ National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.

The selection of names is based on their familiarity with the people in each region, aiming to aid in the understanding and remembrance of cyclones.

The naming procedures can vary, with some regions using alphabetical order and others using the alphabetical order of country names. It is important to note that tropical cyclones are not named after individuals.