Storm Names: Who declares a storm, how and why are they named - and full 2024 list of storm names

It was the first ‘named storm’ of 2024/5, following last year where a record 12 storms were recorded.

The violent weather systems have been named since 2015 - following the practice that’s been used in the USA for hurricanes since 1953.

Here’s how it works.

Who choses the names of the storms?

Each year’s list of names is compiled jointly between the UK’s Met Office, Met Éireann in Ireland, and Dutch national weather forecasting service KNMI.

The names are a mixture of suggestions from the general public - you can email ideas to [email protected] - and ideas from the forecasters.

This year, for example, James, Lewis and Mavis were included in tribute to important figures in the history of the Met Office - meteorologist James Stagg, computer forecasting pioneer Lewis Fry Richardson, and Mavis Hinds, who worked on the earliest Met Office computers.

KNMI’s names were suggested at an environment fair, while Met Éireann selected names chosen by children at a STEM event.

Why are storms given names?

According to the Met Office: “The naming of storms using a single authoritative system provides a consistent message and aids the communication of approaching severe weather through media partners and other government agencies. In this way the public will be better placed to keep themselves, their property and businesses safe.”

Who decides if the weather is bad enough to be a storm?

Any - or all - of the three weather agencies involved in the storm naming system can declare a storm. According to the Met Office, a storm is declared when “it has the potential to cause disruption or damage which could result in an amber or red warning”.

The Met Office’s National Severe Weather Warnings service, which is a combination of both the impact the weather may have and the likelihood of those impacts occurring, decides whether to issue red or amber warnings. 

And it’s not just a case of wind strength, as the Met Office explains: “Storms will usually be named on the basis of the impacts from strong winds, but the impacts of other weather types will also be considered. For example rain, if its impact could lead to flooding as advised by the Environment Agency, SEPA and Natural Resources Wales flood warnings, or snow. Therefore 'storm systems' could be named on the basis of impacts from the wind but also include the impacts of rain and snow.”

What are the names of the storms for 2024/25?

The following are the names that have been picked for the upcoming storm season:

• Ashley
• Bert
• Conall
• Darragh
• Éowyn
• Floris
• Gerben
• Hugo
• Izzy
• James
• Kayleigh
• Lewis
• Mavis
• Naoise
• Otje
• Poppy
• Rafi
• Sayuri
• Tilly
• Vivienne
• Wren