Met. Department asks public to suggest names for cyclones

The Meteorological Department has called on the public to suggest names for cyclones which occur in the North Indian seas.

These names will be subjected to certain guidelines and suggestions should be addressed to the following address : Director General, Department of Meteorology, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07 on or before June 05, 2019.

A total of 13 names will be selected from the total entries, a Department official told Times Online.

The official said that a regional meteorological body comprising officials from Asian countries will choose the names in the event of any cyclone which would occur in the North Indian seas.

However, the following regulations must be adhered to while proposing a name:

1. Any politician, political group, religious belief, or culture must not be targetted.
2. The name must not be biased towards one gender.
3. The beliefs of a particular community must not be attacked.
4. The name shouldn't suggest a negative or controversial meaning.
5. The name must be limited to eight English letters and must be easy to pronounce.