Met Office Reveals 2024/25 Storm Names with Historic Choices

The Met Office, in partnership with Met Éireann and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), has announced the list of storm names for the 2024/25 season.

Among the newly named storms are three that pay tribute to significant figures from the Met Office’s 170-year history: James, Lewis, and Mavis.

Historic Names with Significant Impact

James is named in honor of Group Captain James Stagg, the chief meteorologist who provided crucial weather forecasts to General Eisenhower during the D-Day landings in World War II.

Stagg’s accurate prediction of poor weather conditions on 5 June 1944 led to the postponement of the invasion by one day, allowing the operation to proceed successfully under more favorable conditions on 6 June.

Lewis pays homage to Lewis Fry Richardson, a pioneering scientist who developed the foundational theory of Numerical Weather Prediction.

Richardson’s work laid the groundwork for modern weather forecasting by using mathematical equations to predict the weather, a concept conceived decades before computers were invented.

His visionary idea of employing numerous people, whom he called “computers,” to perform these calculations foreshadowed the way supercomputers are used today for weather prediction.

Mavis honors Mavis Hinds, a trailblazer in the use of early computers for meteorological purposes. Hinds worked on some of the earliest computers available to the Met Office, including the Lyons Electric LEO 1 and the Ferranti Mark 1.

Her team’s pioneering work demonstrated the feasibility of using computers for rapid and precise weather forecasting, paving the way for the Met Office’s future advancements in weather prediction technology.

Importance of Storm Naming

The practice of naming storms began in 2015 and aims to improve public communication and safety during severe weather events.

Storms are named by the Met Office and its partners when they have the potential to cause “medium” or “high” impacts across the UK, Ireland, or the Netherlands.

While the primary criterion for naming a storm is the expected wind impact, additional factors like rain and snow are also considered.

Will Lang, Head of Situational Awareness at the Met Office, emphasised the effectiveness of this practice.

“This is the tenth year of us naming storms, and we do it because it works. Naming storms helps make communication of severe weather easier and provides clarity when people could be impacted by the weather,” he said.

Highlighting the success of the initiative, Lang noted that during Storm Babet in October 2023, a significant 97% of people in the affected areas were aware of the warnings, and 89% took action as a result.

Looking Back and Ahead

The 2023/24 storm season saw 12 storms named, the most in any season since the practice was introduced. The season concluded with Storm Lilian, the 12th named storm, marking a significant milestone for the Met Office and its partners.

The Met Office continues to collaborate closely with Met Éireann and KNMI to select names that resonate with the public. KNMI’s contributions come from names suggested at an environmental fair, while Met Éireann’s choices were inspired by names proposed by children at a STEM event.

Eoin Sherlock, Head of the Forecasting Division at Met Éireann, underlined the importance of the naming strategy: “Our key priority is to help protect life and property from extreme weather and ensure the safety of our communities.

Year after year, storm naming proves effective for that. Naming each storm increases the level of public safety and preparedness as people are more likely to remember and respond to warnings when storms are named.”

Jos Diepeveen, Senior Forecaster at KNMI, added: “Naming the storms helps to raise awareness when severe and extreme weather is approaching. Through recognisable names, we hope to reach as many people as possible with our warning before the weather strikes.”

Full List of 2024/25 Storm Names

The complete list of names for the 2024/25 storm season includes Ashley, Bert, Conall, Darragh, Éowyn, Floris, Gerben, Hugo, Izzy, James, Kayleigh, Lewis, Mavis, Naoise, Otje, Poppy, Rafi, Sayuri, Tilly, Vivienne, and Wren.