Cyclone Arnab got its name from a list shared by 13 countries. The list fixes the order in advance, so no one picks a name after a storm forms in the sea.
Updated: October 27, 2026, 10:20 AM IST
Quick Read:
- The name Arnab was proposed by Bangladesh, and the IMD list gives its pronunciation as “Ornab”.
- Thirteen countries share one list of 169 names for North Indian Ocean storms, adopted in April 2020.
- Names are used in a fixed order. A name says nothing about where a storm will hit or how strong it will be.
A short answer first
Arnab is not a name someone chose this week. It comes from a list made years ago. When a storm in the North Indian Ocean grows strong enough, it gets the next name on that list. No debate. No vote. Just the next name in line.
That is the whole system in one line. The rest of this post fills in the details: who made the list, how it works, and what comes after Arnab.
Who proposed Arnab?
Bangladesh proposed the name Arnab. The IMD’s list gives its pronunciation as “Ornab”. Many reports describe Arnab as a Bengali word for ocean or sea. Here, care is needed. The IMD list gives the pronunciation. It does not give a formal definition. So this post says: the word is linked in reports to the sea, but the official list itself only fixes the name and how to say it.
That distinction is small. It is also the honest way to report it. A name list is not a dictionary.
Who makes the list?
The list comes from the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones. WMO stands for the World Meteorological Organization. ESCAP is the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Together, they run the panel for this region.
Thirteen countries sit on the panel. They are: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Each country gave 13 names. That made 169 names in total. The panel adopted the list in April 2020. Since then, storms in the North Indian Ocean take names from this list, in order.
Also read: Cyclone Arnab service post
How does the order work?
Think of a long queue. Each country takes turns, in a set sequence. When one storm is named, the next storm takes the next name in the queue. The order does not change because a storm looks big or small.
That fixed order is the point. It stops confusion. It stops arguments over what to call a storm. And it stops the same storm getting two names in two countries.
A storm gets a name only when it reaches a set strength. Weak low-pressure areas do not get names. Once a system crosses that line, the name is assigned. From then on, warnings, news reports, and public alerts all use the same name.
Who actually names a storm in this region?
The IMD’s Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) in New Delhi names storms in the North Indian Ocean. When a system qualifies, the RSMC assigns the next name on the panel list. Other countries in the region then use that name.
This single naming point is why you see one name across Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan reports. One centre names it. Everyone else follows.
What names come after Arnab?
DT Next has reported the next names in sequence as Montha (proposed by Thailand), Senyar (proposed by the UAE), and Ditwah (proposed by Yemen). Treat that as the reported sequence, not a promise. If a system fizzles out before it qualifies, it gets no name. The queue simply waits for the next qualifying storm.
So Montha is next in line. But no one can say today when Montha will arrive. A name waits for a storm. A storm does not wait for a name.
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Why bother naming storms at all?
Short names help in a crisis. “Arnab” is easier to say, write, and track than a set of coordinates. Radio warnings get shorter. TV graphics get clearer. People can search for one word and find all updates.
Names also help when two systems exist at once. In a busy season, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea can both hold storms. Without names, people mix them up. With names, each storm has its own tag.
Emergency teams gain from this too. A rescue plan, a relief order, and a school closure notice can all cite one name. No one has to guess which storm the order means.
Names India has given
India has also put names on the list. They include Gati, Tej, Murasu, Aag, and Vyom. Each one went through the same panel process. Each one waited its turn in the queue.
Gati, for example, was used for a storm in the Arabian Sea in 2020. Tej was used in 2023. These names show the same system at work. A country proposes. The panel adopts. The queue decides when the name is used.
What a name does NOT tell you
A name does not predict landfall. Arnab tells you nothing about whether the storm hits Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, or turns away to sea. Track forecasts do that job, not names.
A name does not tell you strength either. A mild storm and a very severe storm can both carry simple names. The IMD’s category — depression, cyclonic storm, severe cyclonic storm, very severe cyclonic storm — tells you strength. The name alone does not.
A name also does not tell you the season. Storms can form in May or in November. The name only marks order in the queue.
Why names are short and simple
Panel rules favour names that are short, easy to pronounce, and not offensive in member countries. Long names get cut in headlines. Hard names get mispronounced on air. A short name travels fast on radio, TV, and phones.
That is also why you see names like Arnab, Montha, and Senyar. They are short. They are distinct. They do not clash with other storm names in the same season.
A quick history of naming
Storm naming did not start in this region. Atlantic storms have carried names for decades. The North Indian Ocean got its first formal list much later. Before April 2020, an older, shorter list was in use.
The 2020 list expanded the system to 169 names. It gave each of the 13 countries an equal share. It also set the fixed order that still runs today.
When the 169 names run out, the panel will need a new list. That day is still far off. For now, the queue has plenty of names left.
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FAQ
Q: Who named Cyclone Arnab? A: Bangladesh proposed the name Arnab. The IMD’s RSMC in New Delhi assigns names from the shared panel list in fixed order. The list gives the pronunciation as “Ornab”.
Q: Does the name Arnab mean the storm will hit a certain place? A: No. A name marks order in the list only. Landfall and strength come from IMD track and intensity forecasts, not from the name.
Q: What names come after Arnab? A: DT Next reports the next names in sequence as Montha (Thailand), Senyar (UAE), and Ditwah (Yemen). That is the reported sequence. A name is used only when a storm qualifies.
Sources: IMD / RSMC New Delhi tropical cyclone name list; WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (13 member countries, 169 names, April 2020); DT Next (reported sequence after Arnab); The Indian Express / The Hindu (Arnab storm reports, October 27, 2026).
