New Storm Names Unveiled for UK's Meteorological Autumn
Met Office, Met Éireann, and KNMI reveal 2026/27 storm list, incorporating public suggestions and honouring meteorological pioneers.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
The Met Office, Met Éireann, and KNMI have announced the storm names for the 2026/27 season.
Met Éireann selected names to commemorate its 90th anniversary, including Austen, a tribute to Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service. The Met Office considered pronunciation, potential for controversy, and connections to public figures during the naming process.
The list includes Austen, Boelo, Chloe, Dano, Evelyn, Finn, Gwendolyn, Heather, Ivy, Jade, Kilian, Laoise, Miriam, Nicola, Olaf, Phelim, Ruban, Shaun, Theo, Vesna, and Wende. Austen, Boelo, and Chloe are the first three names designated for storms that could affect the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Chloe was selected by the Met Office after more than 120 public nominations. One nomination came from a mother who described her five-year-old as “fascinated by the weather” and prone to creating a “storm by herself” when tired.
Finn was suggested for a two-year-old boy described as 'wild and a force to be reckoned with', according to his family. Ivy was nominated in honor of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy known as 'the absolute destructor', her nominator claims.
Nicola was put forward as a tribute to a mother who has 'weathered many a storm and only come out stronger', her nominator stated. Theo was inspired by a cat who would hide before thunderstorms, leading his owner to joke that he could predict the weather, Theo's owner claims.
The UK also experienced impacts from three storms named by other European services during the previous season: Benjamin, Claudia, and Goretti. Post-event surveys following Storm Goretti in January 2026 found high awareness and protective action within amber warning areas.
For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.
Holly Clements stated, "For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively." Clements further explained, "A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property."
The Met Office claims that naming storms helps people prepare and stay safe in severe weather. The collaboration with Aardman, featuring Shaun the Sheep, aimed to reach new audiences and encourage conversations on preparedness for severe weather, the Met Office claims.