Met Office: Full list of storm names from Shaun the Sheep to Olaf

Met Office: Full list of storm names from Shaun the Sheep to Olaf The Met Office, in partnership with Met Éireann and KNMI, has announced the list of storm names for the 2026/27 season, with more than 40,000 suggestions submitted by the public Meteorologists have revealed that Austen, Boelo and Chloe will be the first named storms of this winter, following a flood of more than 40,000 public suggestions. The Met Office, working alongside Ireland's Met Éireann and Dutch forecasting service KNMI, has unveiled the storm names for the 2026/27 season, with countless submissions made in honour of loved ones and beloved pets. Among the suggestions were tributes to a five year old weather enthusiast, a cherished Labrador puppy, pioneering meteorologists, and even Shaun the Sheep from the beloved Wallace and Gromit animation. However, the Met Office stressed that naming storms serves a vital purpose — helping the public take notice, prepare and stay safe during severe weather events. The three organisations have been assigning names to storms since 2015, with the list running from early September through to the following August. This timing coincides with the onset of autumn, when low-pressure systems become more frequent and the chances of storms severe enough to warrant a name significantly increase. Over the past year, four names from the list were used, reaching the letter D with Storm Dave on April 1, though the UK also felt the effects of a further three storms named by other European meteorological services — Storms Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti. Under the naming conventions applied to storms in the North Atlantic, the list follows alphabetical order, skipping the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z. Coming in at third place on this year's list, Chloe was chosen by the Met Office after receiving more than 120 nominations, amongst them a submission from the mother of a five year old weather enthusiast who is "fascinated by the weather" but can also "create a storm by herself" when she is tired. The name Finn was put forward for a two year old boy whose family described him as "wild and a force to be reckoned with", while Ivy was nominated in tribute to a nine-month-old Labrador puppy fondly nicknamed "the absolute destructor". Nicola was suggested as a nod to a mother who has "weathered many a storm and only come out stronger", while Theo was inspired by a cat that would hide ahead of thunderstorms, prompting his owner to quip that he had a talent for predicting the weather. Shaun also made it onto the list following a public vote held as part of a joint venture with beloved British animation studio Aardman, the creative force behind the iconic Wallace and Gromit series. The partnership aimed to engage new audiences and spark conversations about preparing for severe weather, blending the Met Office's forecasting know-how with Aardman's celebrated storytelling abilities. To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Met Éireann chose names honouring key figures from its past, including Austen, after Austen Nagle, the inaugural director of the Irish Meteorological Service, and Evelyn, after Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present the weather on Ireland's national public broadcaster RTÉ. Meanwhile, KNMI selected names from over 3,000 public submissions, among them Boelo – a near-forgotten name from the east Groningen region that has been handed down through the nominator's family across 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 revealed that several criteria were taken into account when adding a name to the list, including its ease of pronunciation, whether it carries different meanings across the participating countries, any links to public figures, and whether it could prove contentious in any way. Storms are assigned a name when they are considered to have the potential to cause medium or high impacts across the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands, with wind being the primary concern, though additional threats from rain or snow are also taken into account. This year's names, along with the country they originated 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). – Laoise (Lee-sha) (Ireland). – Miriam (Ireland). – Nicola (UK). – Olaf (Netherlands). – Phelim (Fay-lim) (Ireland). – Ruban (UK). – Shaun (UK). – Theo (UK). – Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (Netherlands). – Wende (Vhen-duh) (Netherlands).