Cyclone Dana, which is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and approach the East Indian coast, was named by Qatar according to the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) cyclone naming system.
The name Dana, meaning generosity in Arabic, was chosen by Qatar as part of the collaborative naming process for cyclonic storms in the region.
Cyclone Dana is set to make landfall late on Thursday, bringing heavy rainfall to Odisha and West Bengal.
Meanwhile, the depression over the Bay of Bengal is already impacting weather conditions in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
This will be the second major storm to strike the Indian coast in two months, following Cyclone Asna in August.
Most of the cyclonic storms are identified with intriguing names; Titli, Biparjoy, Nisarga, or Fani are a few of them.
The WMO system for naming tropical cyclones involves contributions from member countries across the region, including India, Bangladesh, and Qatar, among others.
The group started to name cyclones in the region in 2000. As per the system, all the member nations send their suggestions to a WMO panel that later finalizes the list of Tropical Cyclones with their names.
The organization further expanded a few years ago in 2018, when Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen were added to the group.
As per the system, all 13 member countries are required to send 13 suggestions for cyclone names which are incorporated in the list accordingly.
