Public picks next storm names as meteorological autumn begins — Amy, Bram and Chandra top the list

The UK Met Office, Met Éireann and the KNMI revealed a new public-generated list of storm names ahead of the annual storm season beginning Sept. 1.

The first of September marks the start of meteorological autumn and the beginning of the annual storm season, and this year the public’s shortlist of names that may be attached to significant Atlantic storms was unveiled, led by Amy, Bram and Chandra. The names will be applied by the UK Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann or the Netherlands’ KNMI when a system is forecast to have “medium” or “high” impacts on those countries and communities.

More than 50,000 name suggestions were submitted to the Met Office from across the UK, the Netherlands and Ireland as part of an open call for nominations. The final selection includes frequently proposed favourites alongside entries with personal stories behind them, reflecting the input of people across the three countries. The fourth name on the list will be Dave — nominated “for my beloved husband who can snore three times louder than any storm” — and Stevie was put forward by someone inspired by a little girl named after the Stevie Nicks song “Dreams,” which contains the line “Thunder only happens when it’s raining.”

How and when a name is used The three national meteorological services involved in the joint naming system — the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI — agree to name a storm when forecasts indicate it is likely to produce impacts that meet their defined thresholds of “medium” or “high.” Those thresholds are intended to reflect the potential for consequences such as travel disruption, property damage or danger to life, though each agency publishes its own specific impact criteria and warning levels.

The names chosen this year aim to represent the cultural and linguistic diversity of the participating countries while remaining simple and easily recognisable in warnings and forecasts. Organisers said the final list contains both popular conventional names and ones with personal or local stories attached, underscoring the public engagement element of the selection process.

Public engagement and selection The public submission process saw tens of thousands of entries, with organisers inviting people to put forward names that they felt would be appropriate for storms affecting the North Atlantic and adjacent European coastal regions. The Met Office said the campaign is intended to involve communities in the naming scheme, although the agencies retain final judgment on which names appear on the official list.

Selections are made from the pool of nominations after screening to ensure suitability for public use. That screening typically considers readability, common usage across the participating languages, and the avoidance of names that could cause offence or confusion, such as names that closely resemble those of well-known public figures. The final list sets out a sequence of names that will be assigned in order as qualifying storms develop and meet the criteria for naming.

The naming system in practice When a qualifying storm is identified, the relevant national meteorological service will announce the name and issue accompanying forecasts and warnings. The three agencies coordinate to ensure that named storms affecting multiple countries carry the same name in all partner countries, reducing confusion across borders and in international media coverage.

Naming occurs only when forecasts indicate significant impacts; not every low-pressure system or period of unsettled weather will be given a name. The practice is focused on events that the partner agencies judge require heightened public attention because of potential or likely disruption.

Timing and the storm season Meteorological autumn, starting on Sept. 1, is commonly used by weather services and researchers as the beginning of the seasonal calendar for climate monitoring. For forecasting agencies in northwestern Europe, the months that follow are typically when mid-latitude cyclones — the large-scale extratropical storms that can bring strong winds and heavy rain — are more frequent and potentially impactful across the region.

By releasing the list ahead of the season, the agencies give the public and media the names that will be used if and when storms meet naming criteria. The decision to publish the list in advance also follows the practice adopted by those services in prior years.

Local stories and popular choices Among the submissions selected for this year’s list are names put forward for sentimental or humorous reasons as well as more conventional entries. The inclusion of names such as Dave and Stevie illustrates how personal narratives entered the compilation: Dave was nominated with a tongue-in-cheek reference to a partner’s loud snoring, while Stevie’s selection was inspired by cultural ties to a song lyric that evokes thunder and rain.

Officials said those human stories were part of the broader intention to make the naming process inclusive and reflective of communities across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. Organisers emphasised that the final list balances diversity with practicality for communications during weather warnings.

Looking ahead As the season progresses, the Met Office, Met Éireann and the KNMI will monitor developing weather systems and issue names when forecast impacts warrant them. Members of the public are advised to follow official meteorological forecasts and to heed any warnings issued by their national agencies. Named storms carry official forecasts, hazard assessments and advice from emergency services and transport operators when they are declared.

The joint naming scheme for storms is a continuing element of cross-border cooperation among the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI. By publishing a publicly generated list ahead of the season, the agencies aim to keep communications consistent should storms needing formal warnings develop over the coming months.