We can now name storms that blight UK and Ireland

Hold on to your hat – the public can help to name storms affecting the UK and Ireland.

People will be able to tweet possible names to the Met Office and send in suggestions via Facebook and email.

It’s part of a pilot project being run with Met Eireann in Ireland this autumn and winter.

It is hoped that by naming storms it will help raise awareness of severe weather and ensure greater safety of the public.

From the Great Resignation to the Great Reshuffle

Judges mull over record number of WEA entries

But some labels have already been vetoed. Any names that have previously been associated with storms that caused a loss of life in other parts of the world will not be used.

Derrick Ryall, head of the public weather service at the Met Office, said: “We have seen how naming storms elsewhere in the world raises awareness of severe weather before it strikes.

“We hope that naming storms in line with the official severe weather warnings here will do the same and ensure everyone can keep themselves, their property and businesses safe and protected at times of severe weather.”

Names can be tweeted to @metoffice using #nameourstorms, sent in via the Met Office Facebook page or by email.

The names will be collated and a list compiled to include those proposed by Met Eireann.

Storm names will then be taken from this list, in alphabetical order, alternating between male and female names.

A storm will be named when it is deemed to have the potential to cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ wind impacts on the UK or Ireland.

If a storm affecting the UK is the remnants of a hurricane that had moved across the Atlantic, the name would not be changed and would instead be referred to as ‘ex-hurricane X’.

So not this…