More than 50,000 suggestions were submitted by the public
Amy, Bram and Chandra will be the first named storms of this winter, meteorologists revealed, after more than 50,000 suggestions were submitted by the public.
The UK’s Met Office, in partnership with Ireland’s Met Eireann and the Dutch national weather forecasting service KNMI, has announced the list of this year’s storm names, saying many people put forward suggestions in tribute to loved ones and even favourite pets.
But while people have submitted choices in honour of husbands who snore louder than storms or little girls who leave chaos in their wakes, the Met Office said the purpose of naming storms was a serious one – to help people take notice, prepare and stay safe in severe weather.
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The Met Office and partners have been naming storms since 2015, with the list running from early September to the following August, to coincide with the start of autumn, when the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for storms severe enough to be named increases.
In the last year, six storms were named, reaching the letter F with Storm Floris on August 1.
Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z, and names are drawn from submissions from the public in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The first name in this year’s list, Amy, was the most popular female name submitted to the Met Office, while Dave was described as “my beloved husband who can snore three times louder than any storm”.
Isla was the most popular name submitted for “I” with many submissions about little girls who leave chaos in their wakes, while Violet was submitted in honour of a daughter as “every bit as fierce and unstoppable as a storm” after being born at 27 weeks while her mother was unwell, the Met Office said.
The choice of Stevie for S was inspired by a little girl named after Stevie Nicks for her song Dreams, which includes the line: “Thunder only happens when it’s raining” and Ruby was the most popular name beginning with R – with one family nominating it in honour of a cherished grandmother.
Pets featured in the nominations, with one cat, Oscar, described as a “good boy, but crazy when he gets the zoomies” and another remembered for “loving the wind in his fur”.
The Met Office said a number of factors were considered for including a name on the list, including how difficult it is to produce, if it has different meanings across the different countries, is connected to a public figure or could be controversial in any way.
Storms are given a name when they are deemed to have the potential to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands, with wind the primary focus, although additional issues from rain or snow will also be looked at.
Rebekah Hicks, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Naming storms isn’t just about giving them a label, it’s about making sure people take notice.
“When a storm has a name, it becomes easier for the media and public to talk about it, share information, and prepare. It’s a simple step that can make a big difference in helping communities stay safe, protect their homes, and make informed decisions ahead of severe weather.”
She said that storm naming worked to raise awareness: “We know that for Storm Floris, just a few weeks ago, surveys found that 93% of people in the amber warning area were aware of the alerts, with 83% taking action to prepare.
“Over the past decade, we’ve seen how naming storms helps raise awareness and ultimately, helps save lives. It’s a simple but powerful tool in helping communities stay safe when severe weather is on the way.”
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said climate change means weather is becoming “more extreme”.
“So when it’s hot, it’s that much hotter,” he said. “And we know that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, so a storm is likely to drop more rainfall compared to a storm, say, decades ago. Because there’s more moisture and more rainfall, there’s an increased chance of flooding.”
This year’s names, and the country they came from, are:
- Amy (UK)
- Bram (Ireland)
- Chandra (Ch-an-dra) (Netherlands)
- Dave (UK)
- Eddie (Netherlands)
- Fionnuala (Fee-new-lah) (Ireland)
- Gerard (Jer-ard) (Ireland)
- Hannah (Netherlands)
- Isla (UK)
- Janna (Yah-nah) (Netherlands)
- Kasia (Ka-shaa) (Ireland)
- Lilith (Netherlands)
- Marty (Ireland)
- Nico (Netherlands)
- Oscar (UK)
- Patrick (Ireland)
- Ruby (UK)
- Stevie (UK)
- Tadhg (Tie-g) (Ireland)
- Violet (UK)
- Wubbo (Vuh-boh) (Netherlands)
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