Met Office releases names for next season of storms expected to batter UK

The Met Office has released the list of storm names for the 2024-5 season.

The weather and climate service has been naming storms since 2015, publishing a list at the beginning of each autumn. To mark the 170th anniversary of the Met Office, this season’s list features names of notable figures from its history.

Among the honoured names is Group Capt James Stagg, the meteorologist who advised on the weather forecast for the D-day landings. Storm Lewis is named after Lewis Fry Richardson, the meteorologist who developed modern mathematical techniques of weather forecasting, while Mavis Hinds, who pioneered the use of computers in UK meteorology, has had Storm Mavis named after her.

Will Lang, the head of situational awareness at the Met Office, said: “It’s great to be able to honour those who have had an impact on our long history of pioneering weather and climate science services.”

Storms receive names when they are likely to result in either an amber or red warning. Amber warnings are issued when there is an increased likelihood of disruption from severe weather, and red warnings are for the most extreme cases.

The reason for giving them names is for easier communication of severe weather. The UK’s storms are named in collaboration with Met Éireann, the Irish weather service, and KNMI, the Dutch counterpart.

Most recently, Storm Lilian marked the 12th storm of the 2023-4 season, and is the furthest into the alphabet meteorologists have reached within a season.

It brought winds up to 70mph to the north of England and parts of Wales, disrupting travel and events. Departing flights from a number of UK airports were grounded and hundreds of homes were affected by power outages. The winds disturbed campers at Leeds festival, and led to organisers closing three of the stages . Creamfields festival in Cheshire also had to delay its events due to the weather.

The full list of names that will be used for storms in 2024-25 is: Ashley, Bert, Conall, Darragh, Eowyn, Floris, Gerben, Hugo, Izzy, James, Kayleigh, Lewis, Mavis, Naoise, Otje, Poppy, Rafi, Sayuri, Tilly, Vivienne and Wren.