CAPF AC 2021 Q116: Current Affairs – Disasters & Humanitarian Issues
- (a) Maldives
- (b) Myanmar
- (c) Oman
- (d) Iran
Answer: (b) Myanmar
Explanation
Who named Cyclone Tauktae
How to think: cyclones in the north Indian Ocean take names from a list given by 13 countries.
The names are used in turn, country by country.
Tauktae was the name given by Myanmar.
It means gecko, a lizard, in Burmese.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Month | May 2021 |
| Sea | Arabian Sea |
| Strength | Extremely severe cyclonic storm |
| Landfall | Gujarat coast (Saurashtra), 17 May 2021 |
| Also hit | Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra |
The 13 countries: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE and Yemen.
The next cyclone: Yaas (named by Oman) hit Odisha and West Bengal a few days later.
Answer: (b) Myanmar.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. The Maldives named Burevi, not Tauktae.
- (b) CORRECT. Myanmar gave the name Tauktae, meaning gecko.
- (c) Incorrect. Oman named the next cyclone, Yaas.
- (d) Incorrect. Iran named Nivar, a cyclone of November 2020.
Key point
2020-21 names: Nisarga (Bangladesh), Gati (India), Nivar (Iran), Burevi (Maldives), Tauktae (Myanmar), Yaas (Oman), Gulab (Pakistan), Shaheen (Qatar). The list follows the countries in alphabetical order.
Remember
Tauktae: Myanmar, gecko, Gujarat, May 2021.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Tauktae (Myanmar) with Yaas (Oman), which came the same month.
- Thinking the country that is hit by the cyclone gives the name.
- Forgetting that the naming list has 13 countries since 2020.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the names follow the countries in alphabetical order. Maldives gave Burevi (late 2020), so the next name comes from the next country, Myanmar, and after it Oman.
Sources
- India Meteorological Department — Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Tauktae over the Arabian Sea (14-19 May 2021): a report
- World Meteorological Organization — Tropical cyclone naming (north Indian Ocean list of 2020)