How Did Cyclone Dana Get Its Name? Why Are Cyclones Named & Who Names Them?

Cyclone Dana is expected to make landfall between Odisha 's Puri and West Bengal's Sagar Island on the night of Thursday (October 24-25). Dana, which will turn into a cyclonic storm on Thursday, is likely to cause heavy rainfall and windstorms in Odisha till October 25. Dana is an Arabic word that means 'generosity.' The name ‘Dana’ or ‘Danah’ holds cultural significance in Arabic culture, signifying ‘the most perfectly sized, valuable, and beautiful pearl.’ According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Dana's name was suggested by Qatar. The WMO says that assigning names to tropical cyclones makes tracking and discussing specific storms more “straightforward, especially when multiple storms are active simultaneously.”