The origin of Hudhud cyclone

The cyclone Hudhud which hit India’s Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with relentless force on Sunday has its name originating from Oman.

Hudhud in Arabic refers to the Hoopoe bird. The Hudhud, or hoopoe bird, is an exotic creature noticed for its distinctive crown of feathers and is widespread in Europe, Asia and North Africa.

An international panel on tropical cyclones led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a Geneva-based agency of the UN, sat down in 2004 and decided to name their cyclones as a committee in the spirit of co-operation and consensus.

Eight countries – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Sri Lanka and Thailand – took part. They came up with a list of 64 names- eight names from each country – for upcoming cyclones.

The list goes alphabetically, according to each country. The last cyclone in the region was Nanauk in June, a name contributed by Myanmar.

Names can be suggested by the general public in the member country or by the government. India, for example, welcomes suggestions on the condition that the name must be “short and readily understood when broadcast, not culturally sensitive and not convey some unintended and potentially inflammatory meaning”.

“A storm causes so much death and destruction that its name is considered for retirement and hence is not used repeatedly,” a statement by India’s weather office says.

So this time, following the alphabetical order, it is Oman’s turn.

Next time a cyclone hits the region, it’s Pakistan’s turn to give it a name

It will be called Nilofar. Last time Pakistan named a cyclone was Nilam in November 2012.