How Cyclone Murasu Became the First Pure Tamil Storm Moniker

A tropical cyclone that developed over the Bay of Bengal has been named Murasu, marking the first time a pure Tamil name has been assigned to a tropical cyclone, The Hindu reported. The weather system intensified into a severe cyclonic storm advancing across maritime approaches toward the Indian coast, The Hindu stated. According to weather reports from the India Meteorological Department, the storm system generates sustained winds with gusts reaching up to 120 kmph, Firstpost reported. Regional transportation hubs responded to worsening coastal conditions as airport operators cancelled 11 scheduled flights in Chennai, Firstpost noted.

Cultural Heritage of the Storm Moniker

The word Murasu refers to an ancient Tamil percussion instrument traditionally played by royal decree to announce important news and alert citizens during natural disasters, CNBC TV18 reported. Meteorologist P. Puviarasan proposed the moniker in 2020 while serving as Director of the Weather Forecasting Division alongside regional director S. Balachandran, CNBC TV18 noted. Because cyclonic warnings serve a comparable mission of alerting coastal populations to environmental hazards, forecasters regarded the traditional drum moniker as a culturally meaningful choice.

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu was placed under the continuous surveillance of Doppler weather radars at Chennai and Machilipatnam, according to RSMC New Delhi.

Multi-National Naming Framework and Linguistic Selection

The formal naming process began in 2020 when the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre in New Delhi requested fresh candidate names from coastal maritime states, The Hindu reported. Under guidelines established by the World Meteorological Organization and regional panels, 13 participating member nations contribute 13 submissions each to maintain a roster of 169 names, CNBC TV18 noted. Standardized naming protocols require that proposed monikers remain culturally neutral, avoid political or religious affiliations, pronounce easily, and contain no more than eight letters. Meteorologists evaluated several candidate words rooted in Tamil heritage, including Neer for water, Er for agriculture, and Navai for boats, before final selections were submitted.

Meteorological Precedent and Coastal Preparations

Former additional director general of meteorology S. Balachandran noted that Murasu is the third Indian name featured from the list following earlier monikers Gati and Tej, The Hindu stated. Forecasters highlighted the coincidence that a tropical storm bearing the name Murasu formed over the Bay of Bengal between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh years after submission. In response to the advancing weather system, authorities in Andhra Pradesh and neighboring districts mobilized disaster relief personnel to secure vulnerable coastal settlements.

Following India's moniker Murasu on the sequential WMO/ESCAP North Indian Ocean naming roster, the next tropical cyclone will be named Akvan as submitted by Iran, according to Open The Magazine.

Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu was forecast to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur with wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph, according to RSMC New Delhi.