Nisarga, Gati, Nivar, Tauktae and Yaas are names of
- (a)new fighter aircrafts
- (b)tourist places
- (c)weather stations
- (d)cyclones
Correct — D, cyclones. Nisarga, Gati, Nivar, Tauktae and Yaas are all names of tropical cyclones that formed over the North Indian Ocean (the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal) in 2020–2021. Such storms are named from a rotating list maintained by the countries of the region and coordinated by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), one of the WMO's regional naming authorities.
- (a)new fighter aircrafts — India's fighter aircraft carry names such as Tejas; these five are storm names, not aircraft.
- (b)tourist places — None of these are place names — they are entries from the regional cyclone-naming list.
- (c)weather stations — Weather stations are identified by their location, not by rotating storm names like these.
Tropical cyclones over the North Indian Ocean are given names from a pre-agreed list contributed by the member countries (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives, Oman, Thailand and others), coordinated by the IMD. Naming makes warnings clearer for the public and the media.
The unusual-sounding names tempt guesses like aircraft or places. Recognise them as recent cyclones: Nisarga and Nivar (2020), and Tauktae and Yaas (2021), all of which affected Indian coasts.
- Nisarga (June 2020) and Tauktae (May 2021) formed in the Arabian Sea; Nivar (Nov 2020) and Yaas (May 2021) in the Bay of Bengal.
- North Indian Ocean cyclones are named by the IMD from a list contributed by member countries.
- Each contributing country submits names, which are used in rotation.
- Tauktae (2021) struck the Gujarat coast and Yaas struck the Odisha–West Bengal coast.
- Assuming unusual names must be aircraft or places rather than cyclones.
- Mixing up which sea each cyclone formed over.
Lists several unfamiliar names and asks what they are — recognise them as recent tropical cyclones.
Willy Willy is
- (a) a type of tree grown in temperate regions
- (b) a wind that blows in a desert
- (c) a tropical cyclone of north-west Australia
- (d) a kind of common fish found near Lakshadweep islands
Answer(c) a tropical cyclone of north-west Australia
Same concept — regional names for tropical cyclones. 'Willy Willy' is the Australian name; Nisarga, Tauktae and Yaas are names from the North Indian Ocean list.
Which of the following statements regarding tropical cyclones is/are correct? 1. These storms develop during the summer and autumn in every tropical ocean except the South Atlantic and eastern South Pacific Oceans. 2. Tropical cyclones that occur in the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Oceans are known as typhoons. 3. Tropical cyclones that occur in the Indian and South Pacific Oceans are called cyclones. Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a) 3 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(c) 1 and 3 only
Same concept — tropical cyclones and their regional names. That item tests where cyclones form and what they are called; this one lists specific North Indian Ocean cyclone names.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Tropical cyclones over the North Indian Ocean are named by which agency?
- (a)NASA
- (b)India Meteorological Department
- (c)ISRO
- (d)NDMA
Answer(b) India Meteorological Department — using a list contributed by member countries.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Cyclone Tauktae (2021) made landfall on the coast of which state?
- (a)West Bengal
- (b)Odisha
- (c)Gujarat
- (d)Tamil Nadu
Answer(c) Gujarat — Tauktae formed in the Arabian Sea and struck the Gujarat coast.