September 21st 2024.
Last week, brave children in Liverpool faced the fierce winds and sea spray on Crosby Beach promenade during Storm Lilian. It was a scene of adventure and excitement, but also a reminder of the power of nature.
As we look ahead to the coming year, it seems that we may have some powerful storms on the horizon. The Met Office has released their list of names for the upcoming 2024/2025 season, which will begin in September and overlap with the start of autumn.
Naming storms has been a practice in the US for a while now, but Britain only started in 2015. It has proven to be a helpful tool in communicating about severe weather and tracking its impact. Just this summer, we experienced Storm Lilian, which was the tail end of Hurricane Ernesto. It brought winds of over 70mph to northern parts of England and Wales.
So who will we be seeing on our weather maps in the months to come? The full list of 21 names includes Ashley, Bert, Conall, Darragh, Eowyn, Floris, Gerben, Hugo, Izzy, James, Kayleigh, Lewis, Mavis, Naoise, Otje, Poppy, Rafi, Sayuri, Tilly, Vivienne, and Wren. These names were chosen through collaboration between the UK Met Office, Irish Met Eireann, and Dutch weather service KNMI.
In the previous year, we had 12 named storms, going in alphabetical order. We made it to Storm Lilian, but it's unlikely we'll see Storm Wren unless we have a particularly stormy year.
As we enjoy the last days of summer, it's worth noting that the release of the storm names coincides with a spell of warm and sunny weather. However, the Met Office is always prepared for the worst and works diligently with other meteorological services to keep us informed and safe.
Among the names on the list are three that pay homage to figures who have had an impact on the Met Office's history. James, Lewis, and Mavis were all influential in the field of weather and climate science. James Stagg was the chief meteorologist who advised General Dwight Eisenhower on the weather forecast for the D-Day landings. Lewis Fry Richardson developed a theory for using computers to make weather forecasts. And Mavis Hinds worked on the earliest Met Office computers.
Speaking of names, you may be wondering why we haven't seen a Storm Boris yet. The reason is simple: the UK Met Office did not name it. Storm Boris was named by Italy's Servizio Meteorologico, as part of a different naming list used in the central Mediterranean region. The UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands have their own list for naming storms. So while Storm Boris may be causing chaos in Europe, it's not a concern for us here in the UK.
But who knows, perhaps we'll see a Storm Bert in the future. For now, let's enjoy the sunny weather and keep an eye out for any potential storms that may come our way. This article was originally published on August 29, 2024, and it just goes to show that we can never predict what nature has in store for us. Stay safe and stay informed.
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