Deadly typhoon names Hato, Kai-tak and Tembin to be dropped from official list of future storm titles, says Hong Kong Observatory
- Replacement names agreed by United Nations committee that mean lynx, puppy and mandarin duck
- Changes made as mark of respect to the hundreds who died in the 2017 disasters
Three names given to deadly typhoons that wrought havoc in the region have been dropped from an approved list of titles for future storms.
Hundreds were killed in the Hato, Kai-tak and Tembin tropical cyclones that landed in China and the Philippines in 2017.
Those names will be retired and replaced with yamaneko, koinu and yun-yeung, which mean lynx, puppy and mandarin duck or a popular tea-in-coffee drink in the city respectively, the Hong Kong Observatory announced on Wednesday.
The move is made as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in previous tragedies and to minimise confusion between different weather events.
“According to convention, the Typhoon Committee will consider retiring the name of a tropical cyclone which has caused serious casualties and economic losses,” a statement issued by the Hong Kong Observatory said.
