Why is the cyclone named ‘Remal’?

As Bangladesh is bracing for the severe cyclonic storm Remal, is forecasted to cause storm surges of 8-12 feet in 16 districts of the country.

This cyclone is all set to make landfall after 6pm today.

Naming of Cyclone Remal

The name "Remal" was given by Oman following the standard convention for naming tropical cyclones in the region. In Arabic, "Remal" means sand, NDTV said in a report.

Tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are named by six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) and five Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs). The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is one of these RSMCs.

The practice of naming tropical cyclones in these regions began in 2000 during the twenty-seventh session of the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC). The panel includes 13 member nations: India, Bangladesh, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Maldives, UAE, Oman, and Qatar.

In September 2004, the formal process of naming cyclones was initiated with each member nation proposing names. The IMD later released a list containing 169 cyclone names, with 13 names suggested by each of the 13 member nations.