Where did Sitrang get its name from and what it means? Know how cyclones are named

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Sitrang formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal late on Sunday evening.  Forecasts predict that the storm will make its way over Bangladesh and the coast of neighbouring West Bengal on Tuesday morning (October 25). The projection indicates that Sundarbans, on both sides of the diplomatic boundary, would be hit most. It is expected that Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly will see a moderate amount of rain on Monday and Tuesday.

As the first storm to develop in the Bay of Bengal in the month of October since 2018, West Bengal and Odisha are on high alert. On Monday, the IMD predicted that southern Assam, east Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura might get moderate to heavy rainfall, while coastal regions of Odisha and West Bengal could see widespread heavy rainfall till Tuesday. Additionally, on Tuesday and Wednesday, both Tripura and Mizoram may be hit by exceptionally severe rains. Along the beaches of Odisha and West Bengal, as well as the Andaman Islands and the adjacent north Andaman Sea, rough sea conditions with squally winds of 35–45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph will dominate on Sunday.

How did it get its name & what does it mean?
Sitrang is the Thai name for it (pronounced as Si-trang). According to sources, it is a Thai surname. The name is one of 169 storms identified by IMD for 2020.

Sitrang will track after Cyclone Asani, which formed in the Bay of Bengal in early May of this year. This will be the year's second cyclone.

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IMD identifies the cyclones that originate across the north Indian Ocean, encompassing the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The IMD issues tropical cyclone and storm surge warnings to thirteen members: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

How cyclones are named?

According to the World Meteorological Organisation, more than one cyclone may form in the same area at once. And thus, in order to keep track of them all, tropical storms are all given names. These storms are often given names that are both simple and memorable. During a crisis, this facilitates communication.

Generally, regional conventions are used to give tropical cyclones their names. There are four regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres and six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres across the globe. These facilities offer warnings and give cyclones their names. Of the six, one is the India Meteorological Department.

A cyclone with sustained surface winds of 62 kilometres per hour or more is given this designation when it originates in the northern Indian Ocean. The name was selected at random from a list of possible titles organised both alphabetically and geographically.