To promote the creation of a joint naming system for future storms, both Met Éireann and the Met Office in the UK are this month calling for suggestions of names from the general public.
Naming our storms after people is a decades-old tradition that is not only an easier way of designating a storm, but also one that can help the general public get to grips with an incoming storm by giving it anthropomorphic qualities.
The only trouble is that many nations, including Ireland and the UK, have different naming systems, so that one country’s name for a storm could be entirely different from another’s, leading to confusion.
Now, to promote the agreed joint naming between Met Éireann and the Met Office, the meteorological organisations are potentially spawning the most bizarre named storms in history by asking for suggestions from the general public through the autumn and winter 2015/16.
A meteorological image of Storm Darwin from February 2014. Image via EUMETSAT
Gerald Fleming, head of forecasting at Met Éireann, said: “As we share a common interest in North Atlantic storms, it makes sense for Met Éireann in Ireland and the Met Office in the United Kingdom to share a common naming system for severe windstorms.
“We in the forecast office in Dublin look forward to working with our colleagues at the UK’s national forecaster in using this common naming system for severe Atlantic storms, helping us to better communicate impending threats to the peoples of our islands.”
Those with suggestions are asked to send on their proposed names to Met Éireann’s Facebook page or by emailing customer.liaison@met.ie with the subject name of ‘nameourstorms’ and the suggested name in the email.
Of course, people on Twitter in both Ireland and the UK have jumped on #nameourstorms and provided some pretty spectacular suggestions already.
Storm Todd Unctious #nameourstorms pic.twitter.com/xxOd9zRmw9
— Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) September 8, 2015
The @metoffice wants us to suggest names for UK storms. My proposal for any hurricanes would be: Michael Fish #nameourstorms — Phil Nash (@phil_nash) September 8, 2015
While some are a little more genuine in their suggestions and, frankly, more likely to get picked.
Why not use the names of ancient kings & queens of UK & Eire to name our storms? #nameourstorms
— Mark Hudspith (@MPH238) September 8, 2015
Hurricane Higgins. #nameourstorms
— Miles Evans (@milominder) September 8, 2015
Ship in stormy weather image via Shutterstock
