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Met Office unveils new list of storm names nominated by the public with names including Arwen, Logan, Ruby and Dudley

The names of friends, family and even treasured pets are among the new list of storm names announced today.

In June, forecasters at the Met Office launched a search for new names that could be given to the worst of the UK weather over the next year - and for the first time the public was invited to put forward their own suggestions for consideration.

The UK public could submit their own storm names suggestions this year
The UK public could submit their own storm names suggestions this year

Working alongside The Irish Meteorological Service and The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, more than 10,000 name nominations were received by the teams of weather watchers to be whittled down to just over 20. Scroll down for the complete list

The final list of monikers, say those responsible for the selection, 'reflect the diversity of the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands'.

The first storm that will be named by the group this year will be Arwen, a name thought to be of Welsh origin and made popular by Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings books.

Naming a storm, says the Met Office, helps communication with the public
Naming a storm, says the Met Office, helps communication with the public

But many other names on the list of 21 reflect heart warming stories families have told about their own friends and relatives who they feel are deserving of a storm named after them. Other names included are Kim, with reasons behind its nomination including a ‘whirlwind’ relative and a self-confessed weather watcher.

Logan, a name of Scottish origin, was nominated by several parents and grandparents, including a mention for a grandson who ‘runs through the house like a tornado’ and one who is ‘as quick as lightning’ when playing as a goalkeeper.

And a cat who ‘comes in and acts like a storm’, has also found her name included with Storm Ruby now ready to make an appearance when the time comes. Shoring up the suggestion, the name Ruby was also put forward for a daughter who ‘leaves a trail of destruction’ when she comes in the house.

Dudley fought off competition from seven other names beginning with D to top a poll which also ran on Twitter last week which had over 12,000 votes from people putting it forward as a suitable storm name. Among the reasons that Dudley was submitted included justification from one couple, due to get married in 2022, who will then share the last name of Dudley. In their nomination, they wrote, “We find it comical to name a storm for us getting married.”

The likely impact of snow is also considered when naming a storm
The likely impact of snow is also considered when naming a storm

While the names of storms can be light-hearted, says the Met Office, the impact they have can be no doubt severe and so a range of criteria was used to help make the final choices including whether it is being used by other storm naming groups, whether there have been significant impacts from previous storms with the same name and if it is a name that has already been used in recent years.

Storms will be named when they're deemed to cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impact in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands. Alongside strong winds - the likely arrival of heavy rain and snow can also be considered in the naming process.

The naming of storms is done to help the media and public better communicate the impact of potential severe weather events, helping people to take the necessary measures to stay safe and protect themselves and their homes ahead of any forecast inclement weather.

But if a storm has already been named by another storm naming group before it moves towards the UK, the original name will be used instead.

The Met Office has chosen 21 new storm names with the help of the public. Image credit: The Met Office.
The Met Office has chosen 21 new storm names with the help of the public. Image credit: The Met Office.

Will Lang, Head of the National Severe Weather Warning Service at the Met Office, said: “This is now the seventh year of us naming storms with our European partners and we look forward to continuing to work together with them to raise awareness around the impacts of severe weather in order to help keep people from all nations safe.

“We’re all aware of some of the severe weather that has been witnessed across Europe and globally in recent months and we work to use any tool at our disposal to ensure the public is informed of potential risks, and naming storms is just one way we do that. We know naming storms helps raise awareness of the impacts of severe weather and ensures clarity for the public when they need it most.”

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