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*Why Name A Deadly Cyclone "Idai"? - Report*

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According to a report, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has the mandate to give names to Tropical Cyclones.

The organisation has 54 member countries including Zimbabwe. The organisation holds a congress meeting every four years in which each member country submits 10 names from their countries.

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During the four years, cyclones are named using the phonetic alphabet A to Z, meaning that we are presently at ‘I’ and the next time we will probably be at ‘J’.

It is therefore not surprising that a Tropical Cyclone that formed in the Indian Ocean soon after Idai was named Cyclone Joanina.

Why was the deadly cyclone named ‘Idai’? It was probably because Zimbabwe had produced a name with ‘I’ and they wanted a name which started with ‘I’. ‘Idai’ is a Shona word meaning, ‘to love’.

Lists of names of cyclones are compiled and maintained by various meteorological committees regionally and submitted to the WMO annually.

A tropical cyclone is not given a name until the sustained maximum wind speed reaches a threshold of 34 knots.

A climate scientist at the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE), Professor Manatsa said:

> Experts from meteorological offices in the cyclone region, South-West Indian ocean, which includes Zimbabwe, met and suggested the names. The names are then put in alphabetical order for that year.

> As the cyclones develop, they are given these names, beginning with those on top of the alphabet. Names are only valid for the current season.

> But when the cyclone season ends, all names which have not been used are discarded. They will start a new list the following season.

*Related:*

*Cyclone Idai Could Be The Deadliest Cyclone To Hit Africa’ -Report*

*More: Newsday*

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