‘Storm Steve’ could hit UK, Met Office announces

THE UK could be battered by Storm Steve in the next few years - after the Met Office revealed the names that will be used to name new storms affecting the UK and Ireland.

The UK could be battered by Storm Steve...or Storm Barney, Storm Abigail or Storm Imogen. Picture: Jane Barlow

Members of the public submitted suggestions via Twitter, Facebook and email as part of a crowdsourcing bid to gather new names.

A storm is named if it is deemed able to cause ‘substantial’ impact on Ireland or the UK.

And the full list of names chosen for future storms is as follows: Abigail, Barney, Clodagh, Desmond, Eva, Frank, Gertrude, Henry, Imogen, Jake, Katie, Lawrence, Mary, Nigel, Orla, Phil, Rhonda, Steve, Tegan, Vernon and Wendy.

Names will be allocated in alphabetical order, alternating between male and female, meaning that the next severe storm to batter the UK will be christened Abigail, with the second one named Barney.

Each letter of the alphabet has a name, barring Q, U, X, Y and Z - the same naming convention used in the US for North Atlantic storms.

Derrick Ryall, head of the public weather service at the Met Office, told the BBC: “We have seen how naming storms elsewhere in the world raises awareness of severe weather before it strikes.

“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.”