The Met Office has launched its public appeal for storm name suggestions for the 2025/26 season, and people in Andover are being encouraged to get involved and put local names forward.
The campaign, now in its eleventh year, invites the public to suggest names that could be used to identify future UK storms. Whether it’s in honour of a grandparent, a pet, a friend with a larger-than-life personality – or just someone who makes a lasting impact – the Met Office wants to hear from you.
Could ‘Storm Trevor’, ‘Storm Katie’, or even ‘Storm Ben’ be blowing across the Test Valley next year?
Will Lang, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said:
“We name storms because it works. For Storm Éowyn in January – the UK’s most powerful windstorm for over a decade – post-event surveys showed that 99% of people in the red warning area were aware of the alerts, and 89% took action.”
The storm naming system is used in partnership with Met Éireann in Ireland and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). It’s designed to make weather warnings more relatable and easier to share across media and social platforms – particularly when lives and livelihoods are at risk.
Submissions are open until 3 July 2025, and the final list of names will be announced in early September. Names beginning with the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are excluded in line with international storm naming conventions.
If you live in Andover and want to see someone from our community (or someone who embodies it) remembered in this unique way, now’s your chance to make a suggestion.
How to take part:
- Submit your storm name suggestion online before 3 July 2025
- You can also include a short reason for your choice
- Visit www.metoffice.gov.uk
Names posted on social media won’t be counted, so be sure to use the official form.
Let’s see if a storm with an Andover name makes it onto the next list.
