January 15th 2025.
In the future, Britain may experience some very unusual and perhaps even comical storm names. The Met Office, responsible for naming storms, has received a list of over 1600 potential names from the public. Some of these names are quite outlandish and have caused quite a stir, with the Met Office considering them for future storms.
Interestingly, most of these suggestions were made through email or online forms, with agencies like Met Éireann, the Met Office, and the Dutch national weather forecasting service making the final decision. The last storm to hit Britain, Storm Darragh, caused severe flooding and destruction in parts of the country last December. And if the Brits have their way, we may soon see weather warnings for a storm called Stormy McStormface, which seems to be a popular choice amongst the public.
This name seems to be a nod to the infamous Boaty McBoatface, which was the overwhelming winner in a public vote for the name of a polar research ship worth £200 million. Stormy McStormface was the 34th most requested name, with a total of 34 nominations, along with another 5 for Stormy McStorm Face. It seems that the public has a penchant for cheekily naming storms after body parts, as names like Fanny, Cocks, and Bigdickus have also made it to the list.
The Met Office has now whittled down the list of names and is considering some of the more outrageous suggestions. Stormy McStormface, with 35 nominations, seems to be leading the pack, followed by Fanny with 13 nominations, and Thor with 11. Other names like Windy, Cocks, and Melon have also received several nominations. And even some pop culture references have made it onto the list, with names like Fortnite w and Skibidi getting five nominations each.
But these names are quite a contrast to the last four storms that swept through Britain, called Ashley, Bert, Conall, and Darragh. In fact, Storm Darragh reached wind speeds of up to 200 mph, leaving thousands without power. Before that, Storm Conall caused heavy rainfall, leading to flood warnings and flight cancellations.
The public has not shied away from showcasing their sense of humor, with nominations for names like Storm Blowy and Storm Windy. The popular video game Fortnite has also made an appearance, with the Met Office considering names like Fortnite w and 200pumped. And even famous celebrities may have a chance at being immortalized as a storm, with Storm Stormzy being a popular choice.
Apart from these unconventional names, the public has also suggested thousands of popular names for future storms. Names like Henna, Sophie, Jack, Charlie, David, and George have all received several nominations. In fact, Henna has received the most nominations out of all the names, with eight times the number of nominations as the second-place name, Sophie.
Henna is a name that has multiple cultural backgrounds, being the Finnish feminine form of Heinrich, an Arabic name for John, and the Yiddish form of Hannah. It is also the name of a natural dye widely used in South Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African cultures. Other names like Sophie, Jack, Charlie, David, and George have also received a significant number of nominations.
The Met Office has already decided the names of storms until August 2025, with Storm Éowyn being the next one to hit Britain. The following storms will run in alphabetical order, with names like Floris, Gerben, Hugo, and Izzy. The Met Office has clarified that a storm only gets named when it has the potential to cause disruption or damage, which could result in amber or red warnings. And while the public has suggested names starting with Q, U, X, Y, and Z, the Met Office does not use these letters in storm names.
A spokesperson for the Met Office has stated that just because a name has been suggested, it does not mean that it will be used. However, they are pleased that people are taking an interest in storm naming, as the whole point of naming storms is to make communication about severe weather easier and provide clarity to those who may be impacted by it.
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