Storm names are selected jointly by the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI, with the final list aiming to reflect communities across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands.
In 2025 the three meteorology agencies invited nominations for names from the public.
More than 40,000 were submitted – we saw names such as Amy, Isla and Marty selected for the 2025/2026 storm season.
This year’s list continues to draw on those suggestions, reflecting not only popular choices, but also some of the personal stories behind them.
For example Austen was suggested in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service.
Chloe was selected by the Met Office after being nominated more than 130 times, including once by the mother of a five-year-old who is described by her mum as “fascinated by the weather” but can also “create a storm by herself” when she is tired.
And Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately known as “the absolute destructor”.
Any remnant of a tropical storm or hurricane that crosses the Atlantic will keep its original name, for example ex-Hurricane Erin, which brought a large swell to South West England in August 2025 and was named ‘Storm Erin’.
To ensure consistency with the US National Hurricane Centre naming conventions, names that begin with the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used.