Winter storm naming in the United Kingdom and Ireland

The United Kingdom's Met Office, in collaboration with its Irish counterpart Met Éireann and, since 2019, its Dutch counterpart the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,[1] decided to introduce a storm naming system following the St Jude's day storm on 27–28 October 2013 which caused 17 deaths in Europe[2][3] and the 2013–14 Atlantic winter storms in Europe to give a single, authoritative naming system to prevent confusion with the media and public using different names for the same storms.[4]

Abigail 11:55 UTC, 12 November 2015

The first windstorm to be named was Abigail on 10 November 2015.[5]

Reasoning

The objectives behind the decision were to:

  • Raise awareness of the dangers of storms
  • Ensure greater public safety
  • Avoid confusion if the name of the remnant of a tropical storm is used, for instance “the ex-hurricane Joaquin that reached Europe earlier this month.”
  • Involve the public
  • Operate with a common cross border system

The names will be used on predicted large-scale, cyclonic windstorms with potential for significant land-based wind impacts. This may result in names being allocated to events that are below the traditional Beaufort scale definition of a storm.[6]

Designation

A storm will be named when it is deemed able to have a "substantial" impact on the UK or Ireland. Met Éireann names any storm which triggers a status Orange or Red weather warning focusing on wind,[7] though consideration was also given to rain and snow events in 2016–17.[8] The basis for such as outlined on their weather warning service are mean wind speeds in excess of 80 km/h (50 mph) or gusts over 130 km/h (80 mph).[9] Similarly, the Met Office name storms that have the potential to cause medium (Amber) or high (Red) impacts to the UK. It describes the wind strength relative to observations such as "falling trees or tiles and other items like garden furniture being blown around and even a number of properties left without electrical power."[10]

Status Amber or Status Red weather warnings will be applied to named storms.[6]

In the case of ex-tropical storms or hurricanes, the original name allocated by the US National Hurricane Center in Miami will continue to be used.[6] This happened when Ex-Hurricane Ophelia hit Ireland and Britain in October 2017, although Brian was the next scheduled name on the list.

The less common letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are never used, in keeping with the US hurricane warning system.[6]

In September 2015, the two Met offices consulted the public via a "Name our storms" campaign and chose the first batch of names.[11]

Winter storm names
2015–16 names[12]
2015–16AbigailBarneyClodaghDesmondEvaFrankGertrudeHenryImogenJakeKatie
LawrenceMaryNigelOrlaPhilRhondaSteveTeganVernonWendyref [6][13]
2016–17 names[14]
2016–17 AngusBarbaraConorDorisEwanFleurGabrielHollyIvorJacquiKamil
LouiseMalcolmNatalieOisínPenelopeRobertSusanThomasValerieWilbert
2017–18 names[15]
2017–18 Aileen Brian Caroline Dylan Eleanor Fionn Georgina Hector Iona James Karen
Larry Maeve Niall Octavia Paul Rebecca Simon Tali Victor Winifred
2018–19 names
2018–19 Ali Bronagh Callum Deirdre Erik Freya Gareth Hannah Idris Jane Kevin
Lily Max Niamh Oliver Peggy Ross Saoirse Tristan Violet Wyn
2019–20 names[16]
2019–20 Atiyah Brendan Ciara Dennis Ellen Francis Gerda Hugh Iris Jan Kitty
Liam Maura Noah Olivia Piet Róisín Samir Tara Vince Willow

Records
SeasonStrongest wind gustPlace and date of strongest wind gustSeason beganSeason endedTotal stormsStrongest storm (by pressure)Total fatalities
2015–16171 km/h or 106 mph The Needles Old Battery, United Kingdom
28 March		7 November 201528 March 201611Storm Frank
928 hPa (27.4 inHg)		7
2016–17192 km/h or 119 mph Liverpool, United Kingdom
23 February		19 November 20163 March 20175Storm Barbara
949 hPa (28.0 inHg)		5
2017–18270 km/h or 170 mph Svinoy, Norway
7 January		12 September 201714 June 201818Storm Fionn
935 hPa (27.6 inHg)		216
2018–19188 km/h or 117 mph Cap Pertusato, France
27 October		16 September 201812 June 201923Storm Callum
939 hPa (27.7 inHg)		48
2019–20140 mph (230 km/h) Unknown, United Kingdom
15 February		2 October 201912 March 202019Storm Dennis
920 mbar (27 inHg)		74 (+12 missing)

See also

References
  1. "Storm names for 2019-20 announced". Met Office. Met Office. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  2. Ahlstrom, Dick (15 January 2015). "Storm-naming system yet to be put in place as Rachel peters out". Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  3. "Met Éireann plans to start naming storms from next year". The Journal. 21 December 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  4. "The power of a name". Met Office. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  5. "Abigail, First British Storm Ever Named, Slams Scotland, Ireland". NBC News. 12 November 2015.
  6. "Met Éireann and the UK Met Office release list of winter storm names". Met Éireann. 20 October 2015.
  7. "Met Éireann and the UK Met Office release list of winter storm names". Met Éireann. 10–13 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  8. Éireann, Met (14 October 2016). "Met Éireann - The Irish Weather Service". www.met.ie. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  9. "Met Éireann Weather Warning System Explained". Met Éireann. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  10. When would we name a storm? (Video). The Met Office. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  11. "8 September 2015 – Help the Met Office and Met Éireann name our storms this winter". Met Office gov.uk.
  12. "A-Z of UK storm names 2016/17". 7 February 2017.
  13. "UK Storm Centre". Met Office. Met Office.
  14. "A-Z of UK storm names 2016/17". 7 February 2017.
  15. "A-Z of UK storm names 2016/17". 6 September 2017.
  16. "Storm names for 2019-20 announced". 6 September 2019.
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