This year’s storm list unveiled as public opts for tribute to Shaun the Sheep

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Published: Tue 1 Sep 2026, 6:13 AM

Last updated: Tue 1 Sep 2026, 6:36 AM

By Rebecca Speare-Cole, Press Association Sustainability Reporter

Austen, Boelo and Chloe will be the first named storms of this winter, meteorologists revealed, after more than 40,000 suggestions were submitted by the public.

The UK’s Met Office, in partnership with Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Dutch national weather forecasting service KNMI, has announced the list of storm names for the 2026/27 season, with many people putting forward suggestions in tribute to loved ones and favourite pets.

People submitted names in honour of a five-year-old weather enthusiast, a much-loved Labrador puppy, meteorological pioneers and Shaun the Sheep from the popular animation Wallace and Gromit.

But the Met Office also said the purpose of naming storms is also serious as it helps people take notice, prepare and stay safe in severe weather.

The organisations have been naming storms since 2015, with the list running from early September to the following August.

It coincides with the start of autumn when the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for storms severe enough to be named increases.

In the last year, four names were used from the list, reaching the letter D with Storm Dave in April 1, although the UK also saw impacts from a further three storms named by other European meteorological services – Storms Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti.

Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z.

The third name in this year’s list, Chloe, was selected by the Met Office after being put forward more than 120 times, including by the mother of a five-year weather enthusiast who is “fascinated by the weather” but can also “create a storm by herself” when she is tired.

The name Finn was suggested for a two-year-old boy described by his family as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately known as “the absolute destructor”.

Nicola was put forward as a tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”, while Theo was inspired by a cat who would hide before thunderstorms, leading his owner to joke that he could predict the weather.

Shaun also joined the list following a public vote that was run as part of a collaboration with the British animation studio Aardman, which was behind the beloved show Wallace and Gromit.

The aim of the collaboration was to reach new audiences and encourage conversations on preparedness for severe weather by combining the Met Office’s forecasting expertise with Aardman’s storytelling.

To mark its 90th anniversary, Met Éireann selected names that celebrate figures from its history, including Austen, in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service and Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present the weather on RTÉ.

Meanwhile, KNMI picked names from more than 3,000 suggestions submitted by the public, including Boelo – a nearly extinct name from the east Groningen region that has been passed down through the nominator’s family for generations.

Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.

“A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.”

Eoin Sherlock, Met Éireann head of forecasting division, said: “We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events.

“2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Meteorological Service and we are proud to be able to recognise some of the significant contributors to our history in the list of storm names this year.”

The Met Office said a number of factors were considered for including a name on the list, including how difficult it is to produce, if it has different meanings across the different countries, is connected to a public figure or could be controversial in any way.

Storms are given a name when they are deemed to have the potential to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands, with wind the primary focus, although additional issues from rain or snow will also be looked at.

This year’s names, and the country they came from, are:

– Austen (Ireland)

– Boelo (Boo-loh) (Netherlands)

– Chloe (UK)

– Dano (Dah-noh) (Netherlands)

– Evelyn (Ireland)

– Finn (UK)

– Gwendolyn (Netherlands)

– Heather (Ireland)

– Ivy (UK)

– Jade (Netherlands)

– Kilian (Ireland)