HK Observatory announces new names for tropical cyclones in 2015

The Hong Kong Observatory announced on Wednesday that five new names have been added to the name list for tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in 2015.

The five new names are Barijat, Mun, Lan, Bailu and Jongdari, replacing the old names Utor, Fitow, Vicente, Haiyan and Sonamu respectively, the observatory said.

The new names were endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific/World Meteorological Organization Typhoon Committee at its 47th session in Bangkok in February 2015.

According to the practice of the typhoon committee, a country or region which has suffered serious human casualties and economic losses from a tropical cyclone may propose to remove its name from the name list. These included Utor, Fitow and Haiyan.

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