Cyclone Fengal to intensify in Bay of Bengal, here’s how ‘Fengal’ got its name

Cyclone Fengal forming over the southeast Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into storm in the next 1-2 days. Tracked northwest toward the Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka coasts, the cyclone will make its potential landfall near Chennai or Puducherry.

Like all tropical cyclones, the name for this cyclone follows a structured naming system overseen by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and regional meteorological agencies.

Here's what we know about the name ‘Fengal’:

The name Fengal for the cyclone was contributed by Saudi Arabia as part of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) naming system for the North Indian Ocean. This naming system involves contributions from 13 countries in the region, each submitting names for inclusion in a rotating list.

Meaning and Origin of ‘Fengal’

The exact meaning of Fengal has not been widely detailed in public records, but names chosen by countries often reflect cultural, linguistic, or environmental significance. It could represent a local term, a natural phenomenon, or a symbol significant to Saudi Arabia.

Names for cyclones in the North Indian Ocean are decided years in advance. Each country submits a list of names, which are used sequentially.

Navy on stand-by

In anticipation of the impact of this cyclone along the coast of Tamil Nadu, the Navy is gearing up to render all necessary support to the vulnerable areas in coordination with State and civil.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved slowly north-northwestwards with a speed of 3 kmph during the past few hours.

"The deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved slowly north-northwestwards with a speed of 3 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 1730 hours IST of today, the 27th November 2024 over the same region near latitude 8.9°N and longitude 82.1°E, about 100 km east-northeast of Trincomalee, 320 km southeast of Nagappattinam, 420 km southeast of Puducherry and 500 km south-southeast of Chennai," the IMD said.

"It is very likely to continue to move north-northwestwards skirting the Sri Lanka coast and intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. Thereafter, it will continue to move north-northwestwards and reach near north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts as a deep depression around the morning of 30th November," the IMD added.