New storm names for 2026-2027 released by Met Office
Tuesday 1 September marks the start of the UK storm season and a new list of storm names have been released including Austen, Chloe and Evelyn.
On the first day of meteorological autumn, the UK's Met Office has introduced a fresh roster of storm names for the 2026-2027 season. The public participated in the naming process, resulting in a diverse selection of monikers. The opening three on the alphabetical list are Austen, Boelo, and Chloe, followed by Dano and Evelyn.
Storms are designated by the Met Office, Ireland's Met Éireann, or the Netherlands' KNMI when they are predicted to bring medium or high impacts. In the UK, storms earn a name when they might cause disruption or damage severe enough to warrant an amber or red warning, determined by both potential impact and likelihood of occurrence. The primary reason for naming storms is due to strong winds, although heavy rainfall or snow leading to flooding or travel disruptions are also considered.
Nineteen years of storm naming have passed in the UK, with names chosen collaboratively by the Met Office, Met Éireann, and KNMI. In 2025, the agencies accepted public nominations for storm names, receiving over 40,000 suggestions. This year's list maintains the spirit of those suggestions while incorporating personal stories, such as Austen honoring Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service, and Chloe selected due to its popularity, with over 130 nominations. Ivy was named in tribute to a Labrador puppy known for its destructive behavior.
Nonetheless, remnants of tropical storms or hurricanes that cross the Atlantic retain their original names. For example, Hurricane Erin, which caused significant waves along South West England in August 2025, is dubbed 'Storm Erin.' To align with the US National Hurricane Centre's naming conventions, names beginning with Q, U, X, Y, and Z are not utilized.
In Europe, storm naming responsibilities are divided among five groups, with the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands forming the western group. In the UK, storms are named based on the potential for disruption or damage, primarily due to strong winds, snow, or heavy rainfall.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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