How do storms like Bert get their name - full list of 2024 and 2025 storm names

Storm Bert, named by Ireland's Met Éireann back in August, heralds the second named storm of the 2024/25 season. Meteorologists release the annual list of storm names on September 1, proceeding alphabetically - this season commenced with Ashley, followed by Bert, next up is Conall, and could potentially extend to Izzy, Rafi, and Tilly.

Storms receive their monikers from either the UK Met Office, Met Éireann, or KNMI in the Netherlands when they predict "medium" to "high" impact weather events.

But why do we name storms?

Will Lang, Met Office Head of Situational Awareness, explains: "This is the 10th year of us naming storms and we do it because it works. Naming storms helps to make communication of severe weather easier and provides clarity."

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While wind intensity is a primary factor for a storm's designation, precipitation such as rain or snow can also influence the naming process. Public suggestions create a shortlist of favourite names, enriched with three historic names reflecting the Met Office’s 170-year legacy.

A few Dutch names have also been included since 2019 when KNMI joined the western storm naming group.

The naming sequence aligns with the meteorological calendar, spanning from September to August the following year, to align with the commencement of autumn and the end of summer. This period typically sees an increase in low-pressure systems and the possibility of more named storms.

Why are there no storms for Q, U, X, Y and Z?

The list of storm names only includes 21 letters of the alphabet, in order to align with the naming conventions of tropical storms and hurricanes in the North Atlantic by the US National Hurricane Center. This is due to the fact that the National Hurricane Center generates six lists of storm names that rotate, and it's challenging to find six suitable names (one for each list) beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z.

Therefore, if your name is Quentin, Ursula, Xavier, Yvonne or Zendaya, you'll never see your name on the storm list.

How many storms were named in winter 2023/2024?

A particularly wet and windy autumn and winter led to 12 named storms in 2023/24. This is the highest number since the practice of naming storms began in 2015.

In recent years, the UK has experienced frequent periods of the jet stream either being directed towards the UK or to the south of the UK, which has helped develop and steer low pressure systems to our shores, sometimes resulting in named storms.

However, no two years are typically the same. One of the challenges for forecasters comes from the natural variability in our weather patterns.

In the 2022/23 season, there were only two named storms, both occurring in August.

And sometimes, storms can come in clusters. In February 2022, three storms occurred within a week - Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.

A Met Office red wind warning was issued for Storm Eunice. The winds gusted to 122mph (196km/h) on the Isle of Wight - England’s highest recorded gust speed.

Does climate change impact UK storms?

The question of whether climate change impacts UK storms is a pressing one. Experts acknowledge that climate change is intensifying our weather, leading to heavier rainfall and an increased risk of flooding, reports BBC.

However, establishing a direct link between storms and climate change is more complex. The UK has endured severe storms for centuries, well before the naming of storms began in 2015.

Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle notes: "There is some evidence that storms with strong winds (windstorms) will become slightly more frequent in the future in north-west Europe and also become more clustered, so that we experience several storms one after the other."

Researchers have greater confidence in predicting that coastal consequences of windstorms, such as storm surges and high waves, will be exacerbated by rising sea levels.

Storm names 2024-25

• Ashley

• Bert

• Conall

• Darragh

• Eowyn

• Floris

• Gerben

• Hugo

• Izzy

• James

• Kayleigh

• Lewis

• Mavis

• Naoise

• Otji

• Poppy

• Rafi

• Sayuri

• Tilly

• Vivienne

• Wren