Cyclone Arnab: Over 900 babies born in Odisha, parents pick names like Arnab, Barsha and Toofan amid heavy rains

As Cyclone Arnab brought heavy rain to Odisha, it also became part of the story of hundreds of families welcoming newborns. More than 900 babies were born across the state during the storm, with some parents choosing names such as Arnab, Barsha and Toofan. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said 2,245 pregnant women had been shifted to healthcare institutions ahead of the cyclone, and 931 of them delivered during the period. Both mothers and babies were doing well.

Newborns named Arnab, Barsha and Toofan

As Cyclone Arnab swept through the region, some families decided to give their newborns names associated with the weather event. Boys were named Arnab, Toofan and Pavan, while some girls were named Barsha and Batasi.

Sukanti Pradhan, 30, from Bengei Sahi in Patrapur, gave birth to a boy at the Patrapur Community Health Centre (CHC) and named him Arnab. Her husband, Chakradhar Sabar, said she had been moved to the hospital in advance as a precaution ahead of the cyclone.


Medical officer Sambit Begray issued the baby's birth certificate. Both mother and child were found to be stable and were discharged from the hospital.

Couple names daughter Barsarani after heavy rainfall

At the same health centre, 22-year-old Rukmuni Behera from Chikarada gave birth to a girl at 9.08 am. The family named her Barsarani, with the name Barsha suggested by medical staff after heavy rain around the time of the delivery.

Behera's husband, Ram Chandra, works as a labourer in Dubai.

Ganjam reports 220 deliveries

Ganjam district also recorded a significant number of deliveries during the cyclone. Since October 25, authorities had shifted 493 pregnant women to nearby hospitals to ensure they could receive medical care during the adverse weather.

District Chief Medical and Public Health Officer S Kameswar Rao said 220 women had delivered by 1 pm on Wednesday. The newborns included 101 boys and 119 girls.

He said the mothers and babies were in good condition, and some had already been discharged.

Cyclone crossed Andhra Pradesh coast, brought rain to Odisha

Cyclone Arnab crossed the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh coast between 2 am and 8 am, bringing heavy rainfall to Odisha. Authorities had moved pregnant women to healthcare facilities before the storm to reduce risks and ensure access to medical assistance.

Why was Cyclone Arnab given this name?

Bangladesh named the cyclone Arnab, pronounced “Ornab”. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word arṇava, which means ocean or vast water, and is also commonly used as a Bengali name.

Cyclones over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are named under the system maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones.

The naming system was introduced in 2004 to help distinguish storms occurring around the same time and make them easier for authorities, the media and the public to identify.