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A new name "Rai" has been adopted for tropical cyclones in the western North Pacific and South China Sea in 2012, replacing "Fanapi".
"Rai" is the stone money of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. The new name was endorsed by the Typhoon Committee, under the joint auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the World Meteorological Organisation, at its 44th Session in February 2012.
According to the convention of the Typhoon Committee, a country or region that has suffered serious human casualties and economic losses from a tropical cyclone may propose to have the cyclone's name removed from the name list. During the passage of "Fanapi" over southern China in September 2010, one hundred houses collapsed in Fujian and the direct economic losses amounted to RMB280 million. In Guangdong, rainstorms triggered by "Fanapi" resulted in 75 people killed or missing. Over 1,400 houses collapsed with a direct economic loss of about RMB2 billion.
The public, aviation and shipping sectors and the media are requested to take note of the newly updated tropical cyclone name and to take appropriate action. The updated list of tropical cyclone names and their corresponding meanings is available at the Hong Kong Observatory website (www.weather.gov.hk/informtc/sound/tcname2012e.htm).
Ends/Monday, April 30, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:41
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