Murasu Becomes First Tamil Name Assigned to a Tropical Cyclone

A severe cyclonic storm advancing towards the Indian coast over the Bay of Bengal has been named 'Murasu', marking the first time a Tamil name has been assigned to a tropical cyclone since north Indian Ocean naming began in September 2004.

The Name

'Murasu', which refers to a traditional Tamil percussion instrument, was suggested by the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai. S. Balachandran, former additional director general of meteorology who headed the RMC when names were proposed, stated the instrument was used in ancient times to share information, alert people about natural disasters, and also denoted a thunderous sound. The storm comes from the second list of names prepared by the World Meteorological Organisation panel, and is the third name after 'Gati' and 'Tej' from India's list of 13 names submitted to the WMO and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific panel.

Selection Process

Following the exhaustion of the first list, the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre for Tropical Cyclones in New Delhi asked coastal States for fresh names in 2020. N. Puviarasan, Head of the Meteorological Centre in Bengaluru who was posted in RMC Chennai at the time, recalled that other proposed names like Thirukai, Kalappai, Yer and Naavai did not make the final selection. Candidate names had to meet specific criteria including easy pronunciation, a maximum length of eight letters, and neutrality, with Neer also securing a place on the list.

Context

Tropical cyclone naming systems help meteorologists, researchers, and the general public easily identify and track individual storms across vast ocean regions without confusion. Meteorological panels maintain carefully vetted, rotating lists contributed by member nations to ensure names remain culturally appropriate, politically neutral, and phonetically simple for diverse populations.