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5 names added to typhoon list

May 13, 2015

Five new names have been adopted for tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in 2015, the Hong Kong Observatory announced today. 

 

Barijat, Mun, Lan, Bailu and Jongdari are replacing Utor, Fitow, Vicente, Haiyan and Sonamu respectively.

 

The United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific/World Meteorological Organisation Typhoon Committee endorsed the new names at its 47th session in Bangkok in February.

 

A country or region which has suffered serious human casualties and economic losses from a tropical cyclone can propose removing the storm's name from the list. 

 

In August 2013, Super Typhoon Utor struck the Philippines and Guangdong, causing more than a dozen casualties. The following month, Severe Typhoon Fitow made landfall in Fujian, killing five people.

 

Super Typhoon Haiyan wreaked havoc in the central Philippines in November 2013. More than 6,000 people were killed, around 1,800 were reported missing and 28,000 were injured, with direct economic losses exceeding around HK$1.9 billion. The typhoon also killed seven people on the Mainland and 13 in Vietnam. 

 

As the English pronunciation of Sonamu is similar to "tsunami", and Vicente appears in both the western North Pacific and eastern North Pacific name lists, the two names have also been replaced to avoid confusion.

 

Click here for the updated list of tropical cyclone names and their meanings.



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