Met Éireann announces new list of storm names for 2025/26

New names proposed by the public mark the 10th year anniversary of the storm naming initiative 

Monday, 1st September 2025 

Met Éireann, in partnership with the National Meteorological Services of the UK (Met Office) and the Netherlands (KNMI), has launched the new list of names for the 2025/26 ‘storm season’, which starts today and runs until 31st August 2026. This year, all three meteorological services asked the public for name suggestions. 

Of the list of 21 names, each of the national partners has contributed seven names. Met Éireann called on Ireland’s public to submit their preferred names through a social media campaign. More than 10,000 names were received from 4,137 members of the public. 

The full 2025/26 list is Amy, Bram, Chandra, Dave, Eddie, Fionnuala, Gerard, Hannah, Isla, Janna, Kasia, Lilith, Marty, Nico, Oscar, Patrick, Ruby, Stevie, Tadhg, Violet, Wubbo. 

(The names chosen by Met Éireann are in bold. Letters Q, U, X, Y, Z are not included, which is in line with the US National Hurricane Center naming convention). 

Commenting on the launch, Eoin Sherlock, Head of Forecasting Division in Met Éireann, said: 

          “Naming storms is a powerful tool that supports us and other public safety organisations to increase awareness of severe and impactful weather alongside our weather warnings. We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up to date forecast and safety-related information. A good example was Storm Éowyn last January, when our website, met.ie, received more than 3 million visits in 2 days. It all aids in protecting life and property across Ireland. 

          “2025 marks 10 years since the storm naming initiative began, and we wanted to involve Ireland’s public more than ever, so we invited them to send us their perfect storm names. There were many personal stories of friends, family, loved ones, and pets, as well as many suggestions honouring our history, culture, and literature. These included Bram, honouring the renowned Irish writer Bram Stoker, and Gerard, a gentleman fighting his own health battle and to whom we wish the best. Many noted how their children and grandchildren of all ages can be their own storms, such as Tadhg, who is a force of nature according to his grandmother. 

          “Even though the process of selecting the names was a fun and light-hearted task, communicating forecasts and safety messages ahead of and during every severe weather event is our highest priority. At the start of the storm season, we echo the government advice to ‘Be Winter Ready’ and prepare now for possible severe weather events to come.” 

 

A storm is named when it could result in ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impacts in any one of the three partner countries. Naming storms allows for authoritative and consistent communications with the public to enable them to prepare for, and stay safe, during potentially severe weather events. 

When a storm is forecast, the national weather service that expects the biggest impact from the severe weather, or is likely to be affected first, names the storm. As well as naming a storm, relevant orange/red warnings may be issued for wind, rain, snow, or a combination of these conditions. Any warnings issued are based on a combination of numerical criteria and the potential impacts foreseen. Up to date information on all Irish weather forecasts and warnings can be found on the Met Éireann website and app. 

Since 2015, Met Éireann and the UK Met Office have been working together on the naming programme, and were joined by the Netherland’s KNMI in 2019. 

 

Rebekah Hicks, Chief Meteorologist at the UK Met Office explained: 

          “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. 

          “We know that naming storms works. 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.” 

 

Other National Meteorological Service groups in the US and Europe also name storms.  When any met service names a weather system, all others keep that name, including ex-hurricanes named by the US National Hurricane Center, such as Charley (25th August 1986) and Ophelia (16th October 2017), which had major impacts in Ireland when they crossed the Atlantic.   

 

Please Note:  

For more information or interview opportunities with Met Éireann spokespersons, contact media@met.ie 

Graphic material: Storm Names 2025/26 images from Met Éireann are available in different formats, please contact media@met.ie if you’d like to receive other formats. 

 

About Storm Naming 

Storm Names 2025-26 list 

Name	Nominating met service	Story behind the name/submission notes
Amy	UK Met Office	Amy was the most popular female name submitted to the UK Met Office.
Bram	Met Éireann	“Bram for the great Irish author and creator of Dracula whose world is of the night with the howl of the wolves mirroring the sounds of a storm.”
Chandra	KNMI	Hindu god of the moon (submitted to KNMI).
Dave	UK Met Office	“My beloved husband who can snore three times louder than any storm!” (submitted to UK Met Office)
Eddie	KNMI	Eddie was included as it is an international name submitted to KNMI.
Fionnuala	Met Éireann	“My daughter’s name … Good strong name! What you’d expect from a storm.”
Gerard	Met Éireann	Gerard was nominated 35 times by friends and family of one man:   “Gerard is on his cancer journey and has a fascination for extreme weather. This would make his day if there was a storm named after him.”  “Gerard is weathering his own storm at the moment.”
Hannah	KNMI	Hannah was submitted to KNMI by a girl who finds storms interesting.
Isla	UK Met Office	Isla, the most popular ‘I’ name submitted to the UK Met Office, with many submissions about little girls who leave chaos in their wake.
Janna	KNMI	Janna was submitted by a visitor to the KNMI open day in memory of her grandmother, who lived to be 96 and had weathered many storms.
Kasia	Met Éireann	“To recognise other nationalities living in Ireland and their heritage that make Ireland even more versatile.” (name of Polish origin)
Lilith	KNMI	Lilith means “belonging to the night” and was submitted to KNMI because storms can sometimes cause devastation.
Marty	Met Éireann	“I chose to nominate the name Marty as a storm name after my grandfather, who sadly passed away in July 2013. He was an amazing, hard-working, reliable man. Grandad Marty was always up for a chat and loved his family. He was an outstanding role model for me, my family and everyone who knew him. He was interested in nature, farming, weather and dancing.”
Nico	KNMI	Nico comes from the grandson of a former KNMI employee who worked on the weather ship Cumulus between the 1950s and 1970s.
Oscar	UK Met Office	One cat, Oscar, was described as “a good boy, but crazy when he gets the zoomies,” while another was remembered fondly for “loving the wind in his fur—he’d sit in the garden for ages just enjoying it.” (submitted to the UK Met Office)
Patrick	Met Éireann	“Family member [who] could cook up a storm if needed.”   Referenced in many submissions for St Patrick. “March 17 is now an international festival.”
Ruby	UK Met Office	In honour of a cherished grandmother, and also the most popular name beginning with R. (submitted to the UK Met Office)
Stevie	UK Met Office	Was inspired by a little girl named after the Stevie Nicks song Dreams, which includes the line: “Thunder only happens when it’s raining.” (Submitted to the UK Met Office).
Tadhg	Met Éireann	“He is my grandson and a real force of nature. From being a very sick baby at birth he is now a strong healthy boy who loves hurling, soccer, dance and music and is excelling in school. He is our 7-year-old whirlwind who just never stops!!”
Violet	UK Met Office	A daughter “every bit as fierce and unstoppable as a storm” after being born at 27 weeks while her mum was unwell (submitted to the UK Met Office).
Wubbo	KNMI	A tribute to Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutchman to fly through space. (submitted to KNMI).

 

All three partner organisations asked members of the public to submit their storm name suggestions. 

The public call to submit name proposals in Ireland was open from 23rd June to 1st July 2025 and announced through Met Éireann socials. Submissions were made through an online form, with the option to submit a maximum of three names along with a story behind the nomination(s). Met Éireann received 10,696 submissions from 4,137 members of the public.  

In Ireland, we had submissions for several of the names chosen by the other two partners, UK Met Office and KNMI. Amy, Dave, Eddie, Hannah, Oscar, Ruby, and Stevie were all suggested by the Irish public too, so we were delighted to see them included on the list.  

We can’t thank Ireland’s public enough for their engagement and support to this initiative. We received so many wonderful, clever and fun proposals, it was very hard to come to a final selection. We will be sure to come back to the submissions for inspiration in coming years!  

 

Past Storm seasons overview 

• In the season just ending (2024/25), there were six named storms affecting the area, starting with Ashley (October 2024), Bert, Conall, Darragh, Éowyn and closing with Floris (August 2025). All of these storms were named by the Western Europe Group of National Meteorological Services, formed by the UK Met Office, KNMI and Met Éireann. 

• The highest number of named storms in a season, affecting Ireland, is fourteen (14), in 2023/24. Two of these storms (Elisa and Geraldine) were named by the Southwestern Europe Group (France, Portugal and Spain).  

• The lowest number of named storms, affecting Ireland, since the initiative began, was four, in 2022/23. 

• On average, there have been around eight named storms each season since the storm naming initiative began in 2015. 

• 2015/16 remains the season with the greatest number of storms reaching storm force 10, when nine of the 11 named storms observed storm force 10 or higher sustained wind speeds at coastal stations. 

• Last season 2024/25, four (of the six) named storms observed storm force 10 or higher sustained wind speeds on land in Ireland: 

– Ashley on Sunday 20th October 2024, with gusts up to 137 km/h (Storm Force). 

– Bert on Saturday 23rd November 2024, with gusts up 115 km/h (Storm Force). 

– Darragh on Friday 6th December 2024, with gusts up to 141 km/h (Violent Storm Force). 

– Éowyn on Friday 24th January 2025, with gusts up to 184 km/h (Hurricane Force).

• Prior to Storm Éowyn, the last hurricane force winds observed on land for Ireland were during Storm Darwin on Wednesday, 12th February 2014, when gusts reached up to 159 km/h. 

• During Storm Éowyn, a gust of 184km/h was recorded at Mace Head Co. Galway on 24th January 2025. This is provisionally the strongest gust speed ever recorded in Ireland, breaking the previous record of 182km/h set at Foynes, Co. Limerick in 1945. 

For more information on storm names and past extreme weather records, see Storm Centre and Major Weather Events. 

 

About Met Éireann’s Warning Services – what you need to know 

• Weather warnings issued by Met Éireann are based on a combination on numerical criteria for wind, rain, temperature, etc. and the potential impacts of the foreseen hazardous conditions. 

• Met Éireann’s app and website (https://www.met.ie/warnings/today) have tab maps displaying all warnings for the following three days. This allows clearer communication and understanding of the complex weather scenarios that can affect Ireland, especially in winter. 

• The Met Éireann app provides an option to subscribe to receive push notifications of weather warnings for a chosen county, selected counties or all counties.  

• Met Éireann also offers a subscription for weather warnings emails, via   https://www.met.ie/warnings/login. 

• The ‘warnings’ pages on met.ie and the app also include warnings for Northern Ireland, whenever they are issued by the UK Met Office. This provides a clear, authoritative one-stop shop for easy and reliable access to the latest weather warnings for the island of Ireland.

• Warning explanations can be found here: https://www.met.ie/weather-warnings 

 

Impacts of storms/severe weather 

• The timing and location of extreme weather occurrences can significantly affect the impact they may have on society and/or the economy. 

• In any individual weather event, not every location within a warning area may experience the same degree of weather or impacts.  

• When severe weather is expected, weather and impacts at lower levels are also likely to be experienced. The type and amount of impacts can be strongly affected by previous weather conditions. Met Éireann takes into consideration the forecasted conditions and thresholds as well as previous weather conditions that may increase the level of impact expected for particular areas when issuing a warning.   

 

Get the latest forecast under severe weather conditions  

• For the most accurate and up-to-date forecast for your area on the Island of Ireland, go to www.met.ie. 

• Warnings – For the latest weather advisories and warnings for Ireland, go to: https://www.met.ie/warnings/today 

• These services and much more are available on our free Met Éireann app – available from the App store for iPhone and from Play Store for Android. 

• Follow Met Éireann on X,  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for extra weather and climate content. 

• Listen to the latest national forecast on our daily podcast (updated three times a day, also on X ). 

  

‘Be Winter Ready’: During quiet autumn weather it is prudent to prepare for possible winter storms and severe weather: “Be Prepared, Stay Safe and know where to find help should you need it”, see gov – Be Winter Ready (www.gov.ie) 

  

Met Éireann digital channel analytics during severe weather 

• A growing number of the public now access information on weather warnings and updates through social media as well as on radio and television. This is heightened with the use of colour-coded warnings and the storm naming initiative, which reinforces how useful it is for Met Éireann’s communications. 

• The Met Éireann website and app see a marked rise in engagement just before and during a named storm. The average daily views on our website, with no current warnings or named storms, is approximately 100k daily page views. In comparison, as shown in the graph below, this increases in the lead up to and during a named storm. For example, the day before Storm Éowyn there were 1.48m page views, and the day of Storm Éowyn 1.85m page views. Similarly, our average daily views on the Met Éireann app are 300k. The day before Storm Éowyn, this rose to 729k, and the day of the storm it was 583k.