Cyclone Tauktae, which struck the west coast of India in May 2021, developed over the:

Tauktae was an extremely severe cyclonic storm that formed over the south-eastern Arabian Sea in May 2021. It moved northward along the west coast of India and made landfall in Gujarat on 17 May 2021.

Track and impact:

• It brought heavy rain and strong winds to Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra as it moved north along the coast.
• It crossed the Saurashtra coast of Gujarat, near Diu, with wind speeds of about 160 to 185 km per hour.
• It was one of the strongest cyclones to hit Gujarat in decades.
• It caused major damage to houses, power lines, farms and fishing boats, especially in Gujarat.

The name:

The name "Tauktae" was suggested by Myanmar and means a highly vocal gecko (lizard).

How cyclones are named in the North Indian Ocean:

• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN regional panel (WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones) maintain the list.
• Thirteen member countries, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Oman and others, contribute names.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi, acts as the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre that issues warnings and names cyclones in this region.

Arabian Sea cyclones:

• Historically, cyclones in the Arabian Sea have been fewer and generally weaker, because its waters are cooler and many storms move away towards Oman or Pakistan.
• But in recent years, the number of intense cyclones in the Arabian Sea has increased, which scientists link to rising sea surface temperatures.
• Examples: Kyarr (2019), Nisarga (2020), Tauktae (2021) and Biparjoy (2023).

Cyclone terminology:

• Tropical cyclones are called hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, typhoons in the western Pacific, and cyclones in the Indian Ocean.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, winds in a cyclone rotate anticlockwise.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Tauktae did not form over the Gulf of Aden, the Andaman Sea or the South China Sea.