Now Reading: Dim-sum, frogs, snakes join Asia’s cyclone name list for 2026
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Dim-sum, frogs, snakes join Asia’s cyclone name list for 2026
Hong Kong's 'Dim-sum' has been approved as a name for future tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea, after a public poll saw 'Milktea' top the list…
The Story in Brief
Hong Kong's 'Dim-sum' has been approved as a name for future tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea, after a public poll saw 'Milktea' top the list and 'Dim-sum' finish fourth. The name is one of nine additions made to the Asia-Pacific cyclone naming list for 2026, The Guardian reports.
Other new names include 'Gaeguri' (frog) from North Korea, 'Hebi' (snake) from Japan, 'Hoaban' (flower) from Vietnam, and 'Tirou' (a Chuukese greeting) from Micronesia. The Typhoon Committee, an intergovernmental body, maintains a rotating list of 140 names that are reused unless a particularly destructive storm requires retirement and replacement. The regional naming system, introduced in 2000, uses local language words to boost public awareness.
The Indian Opinion
The tale of 'Dim-sum' the typhoon is a nice diversion, but behind it lies a serious business. Cyclone naming is a diplomatic minefield where a word's innocent meaning in one language can be vulgar in another, as Hong Kong learned when 'Kapok' was blocked by Thailand in 2005. The Typhoon Committee's 14 members have a simple test: is the name inoffensive, non-political, and familiar to locals? Watch for the first storm to actually be called 'Dim-sum'.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
