The new list of storm names for the 2025 to 2026 North Atlantic season has just been released by weather experts at the Met Office, Met Éireann and the Dutch national weather forecasting service, KNMI.
This year’s is made up entirely of suggestions submitted by the public, with around 50,000 names put forth for consideration. Amy, Bram and Chandra will be the first three storms named by the group this season.
The full list of names is rounded out with Dave, Eddie, Fionnuala, Gerard, Hannah, Isla, Janna, Kasia, Lilith, Marty, Nico, Oscar, Patrick, Ruby, Stevie, Tadhg, Violet, and Wubbo.
Why do we name storms?
The UK’s Met Office, alongside partners at Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Dutch national weather forecasting service, KNMI, started naming storms in 2015. They say it has had proven benefits in raising awareness and saving lives since the scheme began.
“Naming storms isn’t just about giving them a label, it’s about making sure people take notice,” says Met Office chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks.
“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.”
Over the last decade, the Met Office says it has seen how naming storms helps raise awareness and save lives. Hicks says that for Storm Floris in early August, surveys found that 93 per cent of people in the amber warning area were aware of the alerts and 83 per cent took action to prepare.
Eoin Sherlock, head of forecasting division at Met Éireann, adds that Storm Éowyn last January was a good example of how well this works. The forecasting service’s website received more than three million hits in two days, helping to spread lifesaving information.
“Even though the process of selecting the names was a fun and light-hearted task, ultimately, advising the public of the importance of being prepared for the upcoming storm season, and communicating safety messages for every forecast storm are our highest priorities,” Sherlock says.
How are storm names chosen?
North Atlantic storms are named alphabetically in order, missing out the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z.
A number of factors are considered when choosing whether to put a name on the list. That includes how difficult it might be to pronounce, if it has different meanings across different countries, if it is connected to a significant public figure and if the name could be considered controversial in any way.
This year’s list comes from more than 50,000 suggestions submitted by members of the public - some of them with deeply personal stories.
Violet was sent in for a baby born at 27 weeks while her mum was unwell, a daughter “every bit as fierce and unstoppable as a storm”. Stevie was inspired by a little girl named after Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, whose song Dreams includes the line “Thunder only happens when it’s raining”.
Suggestions for storm names can be submitted by the public at any time on the Met Office's website.
How many names will be used this season?
A storm is only named by the group of weather forecasting services if it is deemed to have the potential to cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands. Wind is the primary consideration, but meteorologists also look at impacts from rain or snow when they decide if they should give a storm a name or not.
The list of names runs from early September to late August the following year and coincides with the start of autumn and the end of summer. This is when the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for storms severe enough to be named increases.
During the 2024/2025 season, forecasters reached the letter ‘F’ on 1 August with Storm Floris. Some storm seasons see a low number of storms, so less of the list is used, while others, like the 2023/2024 season with its record 12 storms, are more active.
