How Cyclones Get Their Names And Why The Next One Could Be Called ‘Cyclone Arnab’

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported on Tuesday that a meteorological system over the Bay of Bengal is approaching the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast and is predicted to get stronger before making landfall. Although the system is presently being monitored as a depression, "Arnab," a name that is already sitting in the regional cyclone roster, has garnered attention.  

So, will the current system be called Cyclone Arnab? Not yet. The name Arnab belongs to the next unused name in the predetermined list for tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean. The system will receive that name only if it strengthens to the required intensity and Arnab is next in sequence.

Why Is The Next Cyclone Called ‘Arnab’?

Cyclone names in the North Indian Ocean are decided in advance rather than being chosen when a storm develops. A regional panel under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) maintains the naming system, with countries in the region contributing names to a common list.

The 13 countries involved are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Oman, Maldives, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Bangladesh contributed the name Arnab, which means “ocean” in Bengali. It appears in the predetermined roster and will be used when its turn arrives.

The names are selected according to certain guidelines. The IMD says proposed names should remain neutral to politics, political figures, religious beliefs, cultures and gender. They should not hurt the sentiments of any community, should be easy to pronounce and should not be “very rude and cruel” in nature.

India has also contributed names to the regional lists, including Gati, Tej, Murasu, Aag, Vyom, Jhar, Probaho, Neer, Prabhanjan, Ghurni, Ambud, Jaladhi and Vega. Once the names in one list are exhausted, the process moves to the next list. 

When Does A Depression Become A Cyclone?

The name of a weather system depends on how strong it becomes. The IMD classifies these systems using factors including pressure patterns and maximum sustained wind speed over the sea. A low-pressure area has one closed isobar, while a depression has two and a deep depression has three. When there are four or more closed isobars, the system is classified as a cyclonic storm.

Wind speed also determines the classification. A depression has maximum sustained three-minute surface winds of 17-27 knots (31-50 kmph). A system with winds of 28-33 knots (52-61 kmph) is classified as a deep depression. Once sustained winds reach 34 knots (63 kmph) or more, it becomes a cyclonic storm.

This means that every low-pressure system does not automatically become a cyclone. It has to strengthen through the prescribed stages before it qualifies as one.

What Is Happening Over The Bay Of Bengal Now?

The system currently being monitored over the Bay of Bengal is a depression, not Cyclone Arnab. The IMD said the depression over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal moved westwards at around 18 kmph during the six hours before 8:30 am on September 22. At that time, it was centred near 17.9°N latitude and 86.0°E longitude, around 200 km southeast of Gopalpur, 200 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam, 210 km south of Puri and 290 km east of Visakhapatnam.

“The Depression over Westcentral & adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal, moved westwards with speed 18 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today, the 22nd September, 2026, over the same region near latitude 17.9°N and longitude 86.0°E, about 200 km southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha), 200 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 210 km south of Puri (Odisha), and 290 km east of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh),” the IMD said on X.

The weather department said the system is likely to move west-northwestwards and strengthen into a deep depression over the same region within 12 hours.

“It is very likely to move west-northwestwards & intensify into a deep depression over Westcentral & adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal during next 12 hours," IMD said, adding that the system is forecast to continuing to move west-northwestwards.

According to the IMD forecast, the system is likely to cross the north Andhra Pradesh-South Odisha coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur from the night of September 23 into the early hours of September 24. For now, therefore, Arnab is not the name of the present system. If a future system reaches cyclonic-storm intensity when Arnab is next in the naming sequence, that storm will be called Cyclone Arnab.

Odisha Prepares For Heavy Rain

The developing weather system has already prompted precautionary measures in Odisha. Schools and anganwadi centres have been shut in several districts as heavy rain is expected over the next two days. Some areas could receive rainfall of up to 20 cm, while winds of 55-65 kmph are expected from Tuesday evening.

IMD scientists have warned that continued heavy rain could raise river levels and trigger flooding in low-lying areas, particularly in locations that have already experienced prolonged rainfall.

In Khurda, schools have been ordered shut from Tuesday to Thursday. Ganjam has also ordered the closure of government, government-aided and private schools for the same period. Jagatsinghpur has announced the closure of schools and anganwadi centres on Tuesday, while schools and anganwadi centres in Gajapati will remain closed from Tuesday to Thursday.

The key distinction, therefore, is between the weather system being tracked today and the name waiting in the cyclone roster. The present system is expected to become a deep depression and is not automatically “Cyclone Arnab”. The name will come into play only if a system reaches cyclonic-storm strength and Arnab is next in the predetermined sequence.