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Met Office gives weather-watchers the chance to name this year's storms

IT’S that time of year again - the evenings are getting darker and the Atlantic is firing up for the run of storms which usually arrives in autumn.

 

So far it’s been relatively quiet. This time last year  Bertha had already unleashed mayhem, then Cristobal warmed things up before Gonzalo whipped his tail across our fair isles.

 

We are not unused to some pretty powerful monsters tearing across the country around September/ October time - remember the St Jude Day battering of 2013.

 

And who could forget 1987’s Great Storm which left Britain worn and beaten one October morning almost 30 years ago.

 

If you had, it is perhaps not due to the ferocity of the onslaught which claimed at least 22 lives, but more to do with it never actually having a name (to my knowledge).

 

The most commonly recalled mantle would probably be that owned by the now legendary BBC forecaster who assured us all that night “don’t worry” - I still love you Michael Fish.

 

With this in mind the UK Met Office and the Irish Éireann have joined forces to compile a list of storm names ahead of the next whopper.

 

And YOU, the public, have the chance to name it, and any others afterwards, in an effort to raise awareness of severe weather and increase safety.

 

Good idea I say, and what could be more fun than having the name you chose emblazoned across the newsagent counter the next time things get a bit choppy.

 

To get involved you have three options:

 

  1. Tweet the @metoffice using the handle #nameourstorms followed by your chosen name.

 

       2. Visit the Met Office’s Facebook page to make a suggestion.

 

        3. Send an email to pressoffice@metoffice.gov.uk with ‘nameourstorms’ in the subject and your chosen storm name in the email.

 

These will be collated and used to compile a list of storm names for use through the season.

 

Simples! And you could even be helping to save lives according to Derrick Ryall, head of the public weather service at the Met Office.

 

“We have seen how naming storms elsewhere in the world raises awareness of severe weather before it strikes,” he said.

 

“We hope that naming storms in line with the official severe weather warnings here will do the same and ensure everyone can keep themselves, their property and businesses safe and protected at times of severe weather.”

 

Your  storm will be named when it is deemed to have the potential to cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ wind impacts on the UK and/or Ireland.

 

So what are you waiting for? Any suggestions Michael?!