Why does Typhoon No. 6 have the purely Vietnamese name Tra Mi?

Which agency is responsible for naming storms?

When the media mentions storms appearing around the world , we hear about the specific names given to each storm, rather than simply numbering them.

So how are hurricanes named, and who is responsible for naming them? In fact, the naming of hurricanes has a long and complex history, until a standardized system was established as we know it today.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), hurricanes were originally named after saints associated with the date they made landfall. For example, Hurricane Santa Ana, which made landfall on July 26, 1825, was named after Saint Anne of the Christian faith.

However, what if more than one hurricane appears and makes landfall on the same day, both related to a particular saint? In this case, the newer hurricane would have an additional suffix in its name. For example, the hurricane that made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 13, 1876, was named San Felipe, and another hurricane that made landfall on September 13, 1928, was named San Felipe II.

Scientists then used information about the coordinates at which the storm formed to name it; however, this method made the process of identifying storms complicated and prone to errors when predicting their trajectory.

Scientists at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (part of NOAA) were the first to name hurricanes (Photo: Wikipedia).

By 1953, weather forecasters in the US were using names assigned by the National Hurricane Center (part of NOAA). Scientists at NOAA would give each formed hurricane a unique name.

Initially, scientists used female names to name hurricanes, with the first hurricane being named Hurricane Maria, after the female protagonist in the 1941 novel "Storm" by American author George Rippey Stewart.

The character Maria from the novel "Storm" by American author George Rippey Stewart was used by scientists for the first time to name a hurricane (Photo: MyShopify).

However, as the global gender equality movement gained momentum, scientists realized that using female names for hurricanes was somewhat sexist. Therefore, by 1979, scientists at NOAA began using alternating names for hurricanes, one for each gender.

It was NOAA that initiated the naming of hurricanes; however, these names were initially used within the United States and its Western allies, rather than on a global scale.

Currently, hurricanes are named by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations' specialized meteorological organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Naming storms will help them be easily identified and remembered, attracting public attention to enhance storm response capabilities. Additionally, unique storm names will prevent confusion in cases where multiple storms occur in the same area.

How are storms named?

The WMO is responsible for managing, updating, and forecasting weather in six hurricane regions around the world, geographically divided as follows: the Northwest Pacific, North Atlantic, South Pacific, North Indian Ocean, South Indian Ocean, and Southeast Indian Ocean.

Each region will have different methods for naming storms. For example, in the Northwest Pacific region (including Vietnam), countries in the region affected by tropical storms will nominate storm names to the WMO, while the North Atlantic region will name storms in alphabetical order…

The list of hurricane names will be reused every six years. For example, the list of hurricanes in 2024 will be reused to name hurricanes in 2030.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the agency responsible for managing the naming of hurricanes (Photo: ShutterStock).

The WMO's Hurricane Committee meets once a year. During the meeting, discussions will focus on countries nominating new names or removing existing ones from the list of hurricane names. Countries also have the right to propose the removal of hurricane names assigned by other nations if they feel those names are inappropriate for various reasons.

For example, in cases where storms cause significant loss of life and property, the WMO will ask member states to vote on whether to remove the storm's name to avoid creating painful memories.

Vietnam had previously requested the removal of the name Chanchu, which was given by South Korea, because this typhoon caused serious damage when it hit Vietnam in 2006. Conversely, South Korea also requested the removal of the name Saomai, which was nominated by Vietnam, from the list of typhoon names because this typhoon also caused serious damage to South Korea in the same year, 2006.

It is highly likely that, in the near future, Vietnam will also request the WMO to remove the name Yagi , as proposed by Japan, because this typhoon caused serious damage in our country in late August and early September.

Was the name Tra Mi for typhoon number 6 given by Vietnam?

Typhoon Tra Mi, the sixth storm of the season, is expected to make landfall in Vietnam this weekend. This is a major storm with a very complex trajectory, potentially causing heavy rain and strong winds over a wide area.

Forecast of the trajectory of Typhoon Tra Mi in the coming days (Image: NCHMF).

Upon hearing the name of this storm, many people wondered whether this was a name given by Vietnam and why the international community accepted it.

As mentioned above, countries in the region affected by tropical storms nominate storm names to the WMO, and Vietnam has nominated 10 storm names, including Son-Tinh, Co-May, Bavi, Conson, Sonca, Trami, Halong, Bang-Lang, Songda, and Saola.

As you can see from the list above, Tra Mi is one of the 10 names nominated by Vietnam for typhoons.

List of storm names proposed by countries in the Northwest Pacific region (Photo: WMO).

Of course, this is not the first time there have been storms named after Vietnam, nor is it the first time a storm named Tra Mi has appeared, but these storms do not always make landfall in the country that gave them their names.

For example, six years ago, Typhoon Trami formed and affected Taiwan (China), but did not affect Vietnam at all.

In 2012, another storm, named Son Tinh by Vietnam, affected the Philippines, Vietnam, and China, killing 10 people in Vietnam and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/vi-sao-con-bao-so-6-lai-co-ten-thuan-viet-la-tra-mi-20241023232643719.htm