Where did Storm Otto name come from? 2023 UK storm names, did Met Office name it - why is it not Storm Antoni

Storm Otto is expected to cause problems as it moves across the UK on Friday (17 February), with travel delays anticipated in areas of Scotland and north-east England.

The storm, the first to be given a name this winter, will move east across the far north of the UK from the early hours of Friday morning, bringing gusts in excess of 75mph.

The Met Office has said the high winds may cause travel disruption and possibly damage to buildings in places, and has advised high-sided vehicle drivers to exercise caution.

In September 2022, the Met Office announced which names UK storms would be given for the 2022/23 season, with the list once again running from A to W, with the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z omitted in line with the naming conventions of the US National Hurricane Centre.

The Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann and KNMI of the Netherlands follow the same guidelines as the US to provide continuity on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, as storms that form in the western Atlantic can have a direct influence on our weather thanks to the effects of the Gulf Stream.

Kicking off the 2022/23 list was Storm Antoni. So why is the first named storm of the year to hit the UK called Storm Otto? Here is everything you need to know.

Why is it called Storm Otto?

The first named storm of 2023 deviates from the Met Office’s own list of monikers, because it was actually labelled “Otto” by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).

Denmark is expected to bear the brunt of the storm on Friday afternoon, leading the Danes to name the system, which has now been adopted by the Met Office in line with the international storm-naming arrangements.

A similar situation occurred early last year with the naming of Storm Malik in January 2022. Though the weather system was predicted to glance northern areas of the UK, bringing high winds to much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England, the substantial impacts were expected in Denmark a day later.

As such, the DMI took on naming responsibilities once again, with the title being adopted by meteorological institutes in the UK and Ireland.

Will there still be a Storm Antoni?

We doubt there are many people out there who actively look forward to the travel disruption and damage caused by the UK’s winter storms, but perhaps if you’re named Antoni, you may still be hopeful that an oppressive weather system sharing your name might one day bear down on the nation.

Well, “good” news. The first storm named by the Met Office, Met Éireann or KNMI this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 storm name list.

Applying to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the names are given to the most powerful storms that sweep in from the Atlantic Ocean. The are 21 storm names for the autumn and winter period straddling 2022/23 - technically, the list covers storms up until August 2023, but the worst storm systems have usually passed by the spring.

Here is the list for 2022/23:

• Antoni
• Betty
• Cillian
• Daisy
• Elliot
• Fleur
• Glen
• Hendrika
• Íde
• Johanna
• Khalid
• Loes
• Mark
• Nelly
• Owain
• Priya
• Ruadhán
• Sam
• Tobias
• Val
• Wouter

Weather forecasters say the naming process is vital to help prepare people for bad weather.

“We know from seven years of doing this that naming storms works,” said Will Lang, the Met Office’s head of situational awareness - a job that involves leading the UK’s severe weather response. “We know that naming storms helps to raise awareness and give the public the information they need to stay safe in times of severe weather.”