UK storm names 2026-27
The 21 storm names chosen by the Met Office, Met Éireann (Ireland) and KNMI (Netherlands) for 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027, which of them have been used, and the name the next storm will get.
The next storm will be called Austen.
The next storm named by the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands will be called Austen. No storm has been named yet in 2026-27 (last checked 18 October 2026). Confirm on the Met Office UK Storm Centre.
When is the next storm coming to the UK?
No one can give a date in advance, and this site does not forecast storms. A storm gets the next name only when the Met Office, Met Éireann or KNMI expects it could cause medium or high impacts, usually when an amber or red warning is likely. What is in force right now is on UK weather warnings by region, read from the Met Office.
All 21 names and their status
| # | Name | Chosen by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austen | Met Éireann | Next name · not used yet |
| 2 | Boelo Say: Boo-loh |
KNMI | Not used yet |
| 3 | Chloe | Met Office | Not used yet |
| 4 | Dano Say: Dah-noh |
KNMI | Not used yet |
| 5 | Evelyn | Met Éireann | Not used yet |
| 6 | Finn | Met Office | Not used yet |
| 7 | Gwendolyn Say: Gwen-duh-lin |
KNMI | Not used yet |
| 8 | Heather | Met Éireann | Not used yet |
| 9 | Ivy | Met Office | Not used yet |
| 10 | Jade | KNMI | Not used yet |
| 11 | Kilian | Met Éireann |
Not used yet
Spelled Kilian in the Met Office and KNMI text (one Met Office graphic shows "Killian"). |
| 12 | Laoise Say: Lee-sha |
Met Éireann | Not used yet |
| 13 | Miriam | Met Éireann | Not used yet |
| 14 | Nicola | Met Office | Not used yet |
| 15 | Olaf | KNMI | Not used yet |
| 16 | Phelim Say: Fay-lim |
Met Éireann | Not used yet |
| 17 | Ruban | Met Office | Not used yet |
| 18 | Shaun | Met Office |
Not used yet
Chosen by public vote run with Aardman. |
| 19 | Theo | Met Office | Not used yet |
| 20 | Vesna Say: Vehs-nuh |
KNMI | Not used yet |
| 21 | Wende Say: Vhen-duh |
KNMI | Not used yet |
How the names are chosen and used
A storm is named when it could cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands, typically when an amber or red warning is expected. Wind is the main consideration, but rain or snow can also lead to a name. Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used, in line with the US National Hurricane Center. Each of the three services chose seven names; the public sent in more than 40,000 suggestions to the Met Office and more than 3,000 to KNMI, and Shaun was picked by a public vote run with Aardman. Ex-hurricanes that reach the UK keep the name the US National Hurricane Center gave them.
Sources: Met Office announcement, 1 September 2026 · KNMI announcement (Dutch) · Met Office UK Storm Centre.
Storm names elsewhere in Europe
Spain, Portugal, France and Belgium; Italy and its neighbours; Greece, Cyprus and Israel; and Norway, Sweden and Denmark each keep a list of their own. All five lists, and how medicanes are named, are on storm names 2026-27 for every European group.
Questions
What is the next storm name in the UK?
The next storm named by the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands will be called Austen. No storm has been named yet in 2026-27 (last checked 18 October 2026). Names are used in order and Q, U, X, Y and Z are skipped.
When is the next storm coming to the UK?
Nobody can give a date in advance, and this site does not forecast storms. A storm is named only when the Met Office, Met Éireann or KNMI expects it could cause medium or high impacts, usually when an amber or red warning is likely. For warnings in force now, see the Met Office warnings on our UK weather warnings page.
Who names storms in the UK?
The Met Office, together with Met Éireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands, which form the western storm naming group. Each chose seven of the 21 names for 2026-27, and any of the three can name a storm from the shared list.
Why do storms have names?
Naming storms through one authoritative system gives the public a consistent message about severe weather, so people notice the warnings and act on them. (Met Office.)
What is a medicane?
A medicane (Mediterranean hurricane) is a small but very active low-pressure system over the Mediterranean, mostly its western and central parts, with features of a tropical storm: winds can reach hurricane force and a cloud-free eye often forms. Most form in autumn, when the sea is warmest. There is no separate list of medicane names. A medicane is named like any other storm, from the list of the naming group whose area it threatens. Daniel, the September 2023 medicane that brought the floods in Derna, Libya, was named in this way under the EUMETNET storm-naming scheme.
All European storm names · UK weather warnings · Flood warnings in England · UK heat and cold health alerts
Storm names are chosen and published by the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI; this page copies their list and links their announcements. Last checked against the Met Office on 18 October 2026; if a storm has been named since and is not marked here, the Met Office UK Storm Centre is correct.