Beware Storm Dave! Met Office reveals names of storms for coming winter after public vote

The UK's Met Office, working with Ireland's Met Eireann and the Dutch national weather forecasting service KNMI, has announced the list, saying many people put forward suggestions in tribute to loved ones and even favourite pets.

The Met Office said that despite the jovial inspiration behind most suggestions, the naming of storms is intended to help people prepare and stay safe in severe weather.

Read More: Flooding set to disrupt parts of UK as Met Office issues rain warning

The partnered meteorological agencies began naming storms in 2015 - with the list running from early September until the following August.

Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, 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.

In the last year, six storms were named, reaching the letter F with Storm Floris on August 1.

Amy, Bram and Chandra will be the first named storms of this winter, meteorologists revealed, after more than 50,000 suggestions were submitted by the public.

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" and Ruby was the most popular name beginning with R - with one family nominating it in honour of a cherished grandmother.

Pets featured in the 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".

The Met Office said a number of factors were considered for including a name on the list, including how difficult it is to produce, 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."

She said that storm naming worked to raise awareness.

"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.

"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," she said.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said climate change means weather is becoming "more extreme"

"So when it's hot, it's that much hotter," he said.

"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."

Full list of UK storm names for 2025-26

Amy

Bram

Chandra

Dave

Eddie

Fionnuala

Gerard

Hannah

Isla

Janna

Kasia

Lilith

Marty

Nico

Oscar

Patrick

Ruby

Stevie

Tadhg

Violet

Wubbo