The UK is no stranger to storms, especially in the winter months, and since 2015 these storms have each been named. This is done by the Met Office and their Irish counterpart Met Éireann as well as Dutch institution KNMI.
Naming storms, and sharing the name with nearby countries, means the public can better prepare for the incoming weather. It acts as a call to action for people as it becomes a recognisable entity rather than abstract weather movements.
Storms are only named once they are forecast to have high or medium impact in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands. These names are suggested by the public, which the Met Office then compiles into a list and cycles through as storms arrive.
