How UK storms are named

Since 2015 the UK and Ireland have given names to storms that are likely to cause significant disruption. The Netherlands joined the same naming group later, so one shared list covers all three national weather services.

Who chooses the names?

Each storm season (1 September to 31 August) the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI publish a alphabetical list of names. The public can suggest names; the services pick a mix of male and female names that work across English, Irish and Dutch. Letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are skipped because few names start with them.

The live list for this season is on UK storm names.

When does a storm get a name?

A storm is named when the weather services expect medium or high impacts — typically when amber or red warnings for wind, rain or snow are likely for a large area. Not every spell of wet or windy weather is named. Once a name is used, the next storm takes the next unused name on the list.

To see whether a named storm is affecting the UK right now, or which name is next, use which storm is coming.

Why naming helps

A single name makes warnings easier to follow across TV, radio, social media and travel updates. It also makes it clearer when one storm ends and another begins, which matters when several systems arrive in a short spell.

What we track on UK Storms