THE British Met Office and Ireland’s Met Éireann are inviting the public to help name the storms expected to affect Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands in 2025/26.
This marks the 11th year of the joint storm-naming initiative, which was created to make severe weather warnings clearer and more memorable to the public.
After Storm Éowyn hit at the start of the year, a Met Office survey revealed that 99% of people in red warning areas were aware of the alerts.
Now, the public is being asked to submit names for the upcoming season.
On its official website the Met Office asks: “Is your grandma a force of nature? Does your best friend cause an impact wherever they go? Now you can give them the recognition they deserve, by naming a storm after them.”
Submissions to Met Éireann must be made by 1 July, while the British Met Office will accept entries until 3 July.
It’s been advised that names should be appropriate and inclusive and reflect the cultural diversity of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands.
In line with international storm naming conventions, names starting with the letters Q, U, X, Y or Z will not be accepted.
Chief meteorologist Will Lang from the Met Office highlighted how memorable names like Eunice, Franklin, and Bert have helped the public better understand and prepare for severe weather: “Now we need the public’s help to create this year’s list,” he said.
So far, five storms have been named in the 2024/25 season.
The official list of storm names for 2025/26 is set to be unveiled on 1 September.