From family tributes to Shaun the Sheep: official storm names for 2026/27 revealed
From a five-year-old weather enthusiast and a much-loved Labrador puppy, to meteorological pioneers and Shaun the Sheep, the Met Office, and its partners, has revealed the storm naming list for the 2026/27 season.
More than 40,000 names were submitted to the Met Office by members of the public last year. This year's list draws on those suggestions, reflecting not only popular choices, but also the personal stories behind them, alongside a very special addition: Shaun the Sheep.
Now entering its twelfth year, the storm-naming scheme has been helping to communicate the risks of severe weather since 2015, by providing a clear and consistent reference point for forecasts and warnings when significant impacts are expected.
Met Office Head of Warnings and Guidance, Holly Clements, said:
"For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively. A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property."
Every name tells a story
The first three names on this year’s list are Austen, Boelo and Chloe.
Chloe was selected by the Met Office after being nominated more than 130 times, including once by the mother of a five-year-old weather enthusiast. Chloe's mum says her daughter is "fascinated by the weather" and can also "create a storm by herself" when she is tired.
Other names submitted to the Met Office include: Finn was suggested for a two-year-old boy described by his family as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately known as “the absolute destructor”. Nicola was put forward as a tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”, while Theo was inspired by a cat who would hide before thunderstorms, leading his owner to joke that he could predict the weather.
These personal stories sit alongside names chosen to celebrate meteorological heritage and loved ones.
To mark its 90th anniversary, Met Éireann, the Irish national meteorological service, selected names that celebrate figures from its history, including Austen, in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service and Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present the weather on RTÉ, Ireland’s national public service broadcaster.
Meanwhile, KNMI, the Dutch national meteorological service, picked names from more than 3,000 suggestions submitted by the public, including Boelo, a nearly extinct name from the East Groningen region, and passed down through the nominator's family for generations.
Shaun joins the list following public vote
Among this year's most recognisable names is Shaun, chosen by the public following a vote run as part of a collaboration with Aardman.
The initiative combined the Met Office's world-leading forecasting expertise with Aardman's much-loved storytelling to help more people understand why storms are named and how weather warnings help keep communities safe. Through the collaboration, the Met Office aims to reach new audiences and encourage conversations about severe weather preparedness in an engaging and accessible way.
Does storm naming help?
Storms are named to raise awareness of severe weather before it hits, so people can stay safe. Post-storm surveys show the effectiveness of naming storms to raise awareness.
For Storm Goretti in January 2026, post-event surveys suggest that:
- 93% of people within the amber warning area were aware of the warnings
- 88% of them took action, such as staying in, not driving and shopping earlier
The 2026/27 storm names list
The storm name list in full, with pronunciations and who submitted the names.
- Austen (Met Éireann)
- Boelo (Boo-loh) (KNMI)
- Chloe (Met Office)
- Dano (Dah-noh) (KNMI)
- Evelyn (Met Éireann)
- Finn (Met Office)
- Gwendolyn (Gwen-duh-lin) (KNMI)
- Heather (Met Éireann)
- Ivy (Met Office)
- Jade (KNMI)
- Kilian (Met Éireann)
- Laoise (Lee-sha) (Met Éireann)
- Miriam (Met Éireann)
- Nicola (Met Office)
- Olaf (KNMI)
- Phelim (Fay-lim) (Met Éireann)
- Ruban (Met Office)
- Shaun (Met Office)
- Theo (Met Office)
- Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (KNMI)
- Wende (Vhen-duh) (KNMI)
As in previous years, the list uses 21 names and excludes certain letters to align with international storm-naming conventions.
Storm names are selected jointly by the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI, with the final list designed to reflect communities across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
A number of factors are considered for a name to be on the list, including how difficult it might be to pronounce, if it has different meanings across the different countries, if it is connected to a significant public figure and if it could be considered to be controversial in any way.
When do we name storms?
Storm names are selected jointly by the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI, with the final list designed to reflect communities across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Storms are named by the group when they have the potential to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands. This would typically mean an amber or red warning is expected to be issued at some point during the event. While strong winds remain the primary consideration, storms may also be named when significant impacts are expected from rain or snow.
Met Éireann Head of Forecasting Division, Eoin Sherlock said:
“We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events. 2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Meteorological Service and we are proud to be able to recognise some of the significant contributors to our history in the list of storm names this year.”
Looking back at the 2025/26 season
During the 2025/26 season, the Western Europe storm naming group named four storms, reaching the letter 'D’ with Storm Dave in April 2026.
The UK also experienced impacts from storms named by other European storm naming groups, including Storm Benjamin, Storm Claudia and Storm Goretti.
Storm seasons can vary significantly from year to year, with some seasons producing relatively few named storms and others, such as the record 2023/24 season, proving exceptionally active.
READ: From Amy to Dave: Looking back at the 2025/26 storm season - Met Office
READ: Frequently asked questions about storm naming
