The Met Office has unveiled the storm names for the 2024/25 season. The newly released list covers each year from early September to late August the following year, aligning with the start of autumn. Notable names like James, Lewis, and Mavis have been included to honour key figures in the Met Office’s 170-year history. The storm ‘James’ pays tribute to Group Captain James Stagg, who played a crucial role in advising General Dwight Eisenhower on the weather forecast for the D-Day landings. ‘Lewis’ is named after Lewis Fry Richardson, known for developing a theory to use mathematics and physics in weather forecasting. Meanwhile, ‘Mavis’ is a nod to Mavis Hinds, who contributed to the early Met Office computers.
Meteorologists from the Met Office, Met Éireann in Ireland, and KNMI in the Netherlands collaborate to name storms for effective communication during severe weather events. The most recent storm, Storm Lilian, marked the 12th named storm of the 2023/24 season and was the first time the letter ‘L’ was used in naming a storm. Will Lang, who leads responses during severe weather at the Met Office, highlighted the significance of honouring the pioneering individuals in weather and climate science throughout the Met Office’s history.
The storm names for the 2024/25 season include: Ashley, Bert, Conall, Darragh, Eowyn, Floris, Gerben, Hugo, Izzy, James, Kayleigh, Lewis, Mavis, Naoise, Otje, Poppy, Rafi, Sayuri, Tilly, Vivienne, and Wren. This naming convention aims to streamline the communication of storm-related information to the public. As the Met Office celebrates its 170th anniversary, the storm names for the upcoming season reflect a blend of historical tribute and practicality in communicating weather alerts to communities.