UK storm names 2022: Why do storms have names? Full list of Met Office storm names we can expect in 2022

Since September, we've already seen named storms hit the UK .

Storm Arwen was the first to arrive in November, battering the UK with winds of 110 mph, while storm Barra made land with 80mph winds on December 7.

The first storm of 2022 was Storm Malik, which hit on January 29, followed closely by Storm Corrie.

Now, with Storm Eunice battering the UK, many people are asking why do we name storms and where do these names come from?

Here's everything you need to know about why we name storms after people.

When is a storm named?

A storm is given a name when it has the potential to cause an amber or red weather warning.

Storm Dudley and Eunice both have been given an amber warning for southern and western Scotland, the north coast of Northern Ireland and northern England.

Why are storms named?

Naming storms after humans began in the United States in 1953, but it wasn't until 2014 when the Met Office decided to adapt to this method and start naming storms.

The idea behind it, is to help make communicating about storms easier, with human names being more memorable than a number or a date and time.

How do storms get their names?

The Met Office, Met Éireann and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) work together to decide on names for storms that impact Europe.

The list is created in advance, runs in alphabetical order, follow a pattern of male then female and include a variety of names that reflect the citizens of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands.

This year the Met Office launched a #NameOurStorms campaign for people to send in name ideas, some of those suggested have made it onto this year's list.

Why are there no storms for Q, U, X, Y and Z?

Whilst there are many names included in the list, you will not find one that begins with a Q, U, X, Y or Z.

This is so that the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI comply with the same naming conventions as the US National Hurricane Centre based in America.

To ensure that all organisations can work together they follow set naming styles.

What are the storm names for 2022?

Arwen

Barra

Corrie

Dudley

Eunice

Franklin

Gladys

Herman

Imani

Jack

Kim

Logan

Méabh

Nasim

Olwen

Pól

Ruby

Seán

Tineke

Vergil

Willemien

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