Cyclone Michaung: Who named it? How do cyclones get their names? Check details here

After heavy rainfall disrupted the everyday livelihood of people in Chennai and left a large portion of the city submerged in rainwater, the people in the city were forced to stay indoors. This state of the capital city of Tamil Nadu is happening due to Cyclone Michaung, which has caused havoc on India's southern coast and also led to inundation in several parts of the city. 

The cyclonic storm Michaung has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to cross the coast at Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, December 5.

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After the severe effects of the Michaung cyclone started affecting the state in several ways, multiple flights to and fro from Chennai were cancelled, and many flights were diverted to avoid extreme weather conditions due to cyclone Michaung.

Why is the cyclone named as Michaung?

The name of the cyclone ‘Michaung’ was proposed by Myanmar, which signifies resilience and fortitude. This is the sixth cyclone to develop in the Indian Ocean this year and the fourth to form in the Bay of Bengal. Earlier, the Indian Meteorological Department had predicted that Cyclone Michaung was expected to form in the southwest Bay of Bengal on Sunday, December 3.

The following day, the storm was predicted to make landfall along the Tamil Nadu coast, and the cyclone did affect the Tamil Nadu coast as heavy rains battered Chennai, submerging numerous areas in the city in water. The Chennai airport was also forced to shut down until 11 pm on Monday due to high water levels in the area.

How are cyclones named?

The World Meterological Organisation (WMO) and member countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCAP) are responsible for naming each tropical cyclone.

The names of cyclones depend on the regional rules. "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. In the Northern Indian Ocean, nations began utilising a new method for naming tropical cyclones in 2000; the names are listed alphabetically by country and are gender-neutral," the WMO said.

Notably, the World Health Organisation generally keeps track of the names of different cyclones.

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