An international meteorological organisation has accepted Bangladesh's list of 13 new names to be given to tropical cyclones that develop over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) which includes the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

The names provided by Bangladesh and accepted by 13-member countries of a committee on tropical cyclones under New Delhi-based Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are: Nisarga, Biparjoy, Arnab, Upakul, Barshon, Rajani, Nishith, Urmi, Meghla, Samiran, Pratikul, Sarobar and Mahanisha.

Neighbouring India has also come up with 13 new names for the tropical cyclones--Gati, Tej, Murasu, Aag, Vyom, Jhar, Probaho, Neer, Prabhanjan, Ghurni, Ambud, Jaladhi and Vega, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Similarly, the 11 other member-countries of RSMCs: Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen have also given their 13 names each, according to the list of names released by India's Earth Science Ministry, the coordinator for the RSMCs, on Tuesday night.

The names for the tropical cyclones would be used sequentially column-wise (mentioned in the list of new names), according to a statement issued in this regard.

Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) in New Delhi will be responsible to name tropical cyclones forming over the North Indian Ocean including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea when they have been found with maximum sustained surface windspeed of 62 kmph or more, it said.

The names given by the 13 countries were adopted by consensus by the WMO/ESCAP and the panel on tropical cyclones in April, the statement. India was the rapporteur of the panel.

The 45th session of WMO/ESCAP and panel on tropical cyclones held in Muscat, Oman, in September, 2018 had decided to prepare a fresh list of names of tropical cyclones including representation from five new member countries-- Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen out of a total 13 member-countries.

Worldwide, there are six regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) mandated for issuing advisories and naming of tropical cyclones. India Meteorological Department is one of the six RSMCs to provide tropical cyclone and storm surge advisories to the 13 member-countries.

Among the criteria adopted for selection of the new names for tropical cyclones that brew over North Indian Ocean are that the proposed name should be neutral to politics and political figures, religious beliefs, cultures and gender, said the statement.

It was also decided that the names should be chosen in a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of population across the globe, should be short and easy to pronounce and the maximum length of the name will be eight letters.

Also, the names of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean should be new and will not be repeated. Once used, it will not be used again.