Storm Names UK: Here is the full list of 2026/27 storm names revealed by the Met Office - including Shaun the Sheep
Selected by the public, this year’s storm names have been named for cartoon characters and family pets, as well as meteorological pioneers and loved ones.
The Met Office has revealed its official list of storm names for the upcoming 2026-2027 season - with several animals including Shaun the Sheep getting a nod.
One of this year’s most recognisable references, the stop motion sheep was selected following a collaboration between Aardman and the weather institute. Other animals who received a nod include Ivy, for a nine-month-old “absolute destructor” of a Labrador, as well as Theo for a cat who would predict thunderstorms and hide before they arrived.
Names are chosen by the public, with many submitted in tribute of family members, loved ones, icons and even beloved pets. The final list of names is then selected in jointly by the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI - the Irish and Dutch national weather forecasting services, respectively - and reflect communities from each of the countries.
Now in its twelfth year, the storm-naming scheme helps communicate the risk of severe weather. Storms are named when they have the potential to have medium or high impacts across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands - typically an amber or red weather warning.
The names chosen by committee for the upcoming season will be used in alphabetical order, with the full list below.
The full list of storm names for 2026/27
The next storm to happen will be named Austen, which was selected by Met Éireann in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service. It is one of two names chosen by the weather service in honour of historical figures, with Evelyn also on this year’s list after Evelyn Murphy, who was the first woman to present the weather on RTÉ.
Following Austen, there is then Boelo which comes from KNMI. This name recognises an almost extinct name from the East Groningen region of the country, which was passed down through the family of the person who nominated it for generations.
As well as the names, below you will find which weather service the name comes from and how they are pronounced.
Here is the full list of 2026/27 storm names:
- Austen — Met Éireann
- Boelo (Boo-loh) — KNMI
- Chloe — Met Office
- Dano (Dah-noh) — KNMI
- Evelyn — Met Éireann
- Finn — Met Office
- Gwendolyn (Gwen-duh-lin) — KNMI
- Heather — Met Éireann
- Ivy — Met Office
- Jade — KNMI
- Kilian — Met Éireann
- Laoise (Lee-sha) — Met Éireann
- Miriam — Met Éireann
- Nicola — Met Office
- Olaf — KNMI
- Phelim (Fay-lim) — Met Éireann
- Ruban — Met Office
- Shaun — Met Office
- Theo — Met Office
- Vesna (Vehs-nuh) — KNMI
- Wende (Vhen-duh) — KNMI
Meanwhile, Chloe was nominated more than 130 times - including for five-year-old Chloe, a weather enthusiast, whose mother submitted the name. She said her daughter is "fascinated by the weather" and can "create a storm by herself" tired.
Finn was suggested after a two-year-old boy who is described as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Nicola was submitted in tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”.
Why are storms given names?
As mentioned, the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI name storms to help when communicating the potential risks that storms pose to communities. They are used when amber or red weather warnings are expected to be issued during the event, and cover all kinds of weather - from strong winds, rain or snow.
Naming them makes it easier to raise public awareness and to help people stay up-to-date with official guidance.
For example, following Storm Goretti in January 2026 a survey suggested that 93% of people within the amber warning area were aware of the warnings and that 88% followed advice including staying, not driving and shopping earlier.
Eoin Sherlock, the head of forecasting for Met Éireann, 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.”
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