Typhoon Dim-sum: how Hong Kong put a tasty snack on the storm map

A new name has been added to the list of future tropical cyclones for the Asia-Pacific region, including one with a culinary twist A “Typhoon Dim-sum” could one day be on the horizon after the name was added to the Asia-Pacific region’s official list of tropical cyclone names this week. It features among nine names to be added to the list of future tropical cyclones, with each name contributed by a country. The names of tropical storms are generally recycled, replacing those which have caused serious casualties and economic loss. So how does a mouth-watering snack come to be endorsed by the UN-backed Typhoon Committee? Dim-sum was Hong Kong’s contribution to the nine new tropical cyclone names introduced in 2026 to the list in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea. It was part of a “reserve list” of tropical cyclone names with regional characteristics developed by the Hong Kong Observatory with the help of the public in 2023. Dim-sum came fourth, with “milktea” coming out on top of the poll which attracted more than 20,000 votes. There are 140 names on the list compiled by the Typhoon Committee, formed jointly by the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organizat