This year’s storm names list unveiled: Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI inundated with suggestions including 'Dave'
The 2025/26 storm names list - compiled by Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI - revealed, including ‘Dave’ described as “my beloved husband who can snore three times louder than any storm”.
This winter will see storms named Amy, Bram and Chandra hit the UK - should conditions dictate, after the Met Office revealed the latest titles for severe weather incidents. The meteorological monikers have been unveiled after more than 50,000 suggestions were submitted by the public.
Working in partnership with Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Dutch national weather forecasting service KNMI, the Met Office announced the list of this year’s storm names, saying many people put forward suggestions in tribute to loved ones and even favourite pets.
But while people have submitted choices in honour of husbands who snore louder than storms, or little girls who leave chaos in their wakes, the Met Office said the purpose of naming storms was a serious one – to help people take notice, prepare and stay safe in severe weather.
Storms in the UK have been named since 2015, with the list laid out each year, running from early September to the following August, coinciding with the start of autumn, when the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for storms severe enough to be named increases. In the last year, six storms were named, reaching the letter F with Storm Floris on August 1.
The list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z, and names are drawn from submissions from the public in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. The first name in this year’s list, Amy, was the most popular female name submitted to the Met Office, while Dave was described as “my beloved husband who can snore three times louder than any storm”.
Isla was the most popular name submitted for “I” with many submissions about little girls who leave chaos in their wakes, while Violet was submitted in honour of a daughter as “every bit as fierce and unstoppable as a storm” after being born at 27 weeks while her mother was unwell, the Met Office said.
The choice of Stevie for S was inspired by a little girl named after Stevie Nicks for her song Dreams, which includes the line: “Thunder only happens when it’s raining”, while Ruby was the most popular name beginning with R – with one family nominating it in honour of a cherished grandmother.
Elsewhere, pets featured in the list of nominations, with one cat, Oscar, described as a “good boy, but crazy when he gets the zoomies” and another remembered for “loving the wind in his fur”.
2025/26 storm names list
- Amy (UK)
- Bram (Ireland)
- Chandra (Ch-an-dra) (Netherlands)
- Dave (UK)
- Eddie (Netherlands)
- Fionnuala (Fee-new-lah) (Ireland)
- Gerard (Jer-ard) (Ireland)
- Hannah (Netherlands)
- Isla (UK)
- Janna (Yah-nah) (Netherlands)
- Kasia (Ka-shaa) (Ireland)
- Lilith (Netherlands)
- Marty (Ireland)
- Nico (Netherlands)
- Oscar (UK)
- Patrick (Ireland)
- Ruby (UK)
- Stevie (UK)
- Tadhg (Tie-g) (Ireland)
- Violet (UK)
- Wubbo (Vuh-boh) (Netherlands)
The Met Office said factors considered when deciding on names for the list, including how difficult it is to pronounce, if it has different meanings across the different countries, is connected to a public figure, or could be controversial in any way.
Storms are given a name when they are deemed to have the potential to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands, with wind the primary focus, although additional issues from rain or snow will also be looked at.
Rebekah Hicks, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Naming storms isn’t just about giving them a label, it’s about making sure people take notice. When a storm has a name, it becomes easier for the media and public to talk about it, share information, and prepare.
“It’s a simple step that can make a big difference in helping communities stay safe, protect their homes, and make informed decisions ahead of severe weather.”
“We know that for Storm Floris, just a few weeks ago, surveys found that 93% of people in the amber warning area were aware of the alerts, with 83% taking action to prepare,” she added. “Over the past decade, we’ve seen how naming storms helps raise awareness and ultimately, helps save lives. It’s a simple but powerful tool in helping communities stay safe when severe weather is on the way.”
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said climate change means weather is becoming “more extreme”, adding: “So when it’s hot, it’s that much hotter. And we know that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, so a storm is likely to drop more rainfall compared to a storm, say, decades ago. Because there’s more moisture and more rainfall, there’s an increased chance of flooding.”