Hong Kong serves up local flavour as ‘Typhoon Dim-sum’ joins new storm names list
City’s weather forecaster says latest submission has been endorsed by UN-backed typhoon committee for use in the Western North Pacific region
Dim sum has been selected as one of nine new tropical cyclone names introduced this year for the Western North Pacific and South China Sea, Hong Kong’s forecaster announced on Monday.
The well-known staple of Hong Kong cuisine was submitted by the city to replace retired names, alongside Koki, Gaeguri, Hebi, Tomo, Tirou, Narae, Burapha and Hoaban.
The new names were endorsed at the 58th session of the Typhoon Committee, under the joint auspices of the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization.
Among the nine, “Narae”, submitted by South Korea, means “the wing of a bird or insect”, while “Hebi”, meaning “snake”, was proposed by Japan. “Tirou”, a formal greeting in Chuukese culture, was submitted by Micronesia.
Other contributors to the new list include Cambodia, North Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.
The names will replace Kong-Rey, Toraji, Man-yi, Usagi, Yagi, Ewiniar, Jebi, Krathon and Trami, respectively.
“Dim sum” ranked fourth in a 2023 public poll conducted by the Hong Kong Observatory to identify suitable tropical cyclone names reflecting the city’s characteristics.