Storm names for 2026-27: Austen, Boelo and Chloe

The first storm to be named in the UK this autumn will be called Austen, followed by Boelo and Chloe, after the Met Office revealed its list of storm names for 2026 to 2027.

The 21 names were chosen from more than 40,000 suggestions from the public, and were drawn up with Ireland's weather service, Met Eireann, and the Dutch meteorological service, KNMI.

The full list

Austen, Boelo, Chloe, Dano, Evelyn, Finn, Gwendolyn, Heather, Ivy, Jade, Kilian, Laoise, Miriam, Nicola, Olaf, Phelim, Ruban, Shaun, Theo, Vesna and Wende.

Some of the stories behind the names

Chloe was nominated more than 130 times, including once by the mother of a five-year-old weather enthusiast. Shaun was chosen through a public vote run with Aardman, the Bristol animation studio behind Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.

Why storms are named

The Met Office began naming storms in 2015. Giving storms a name helps people take notice of warnings and understand the risks, and makes it easier for the media and emergency services to communicate clearly.

A storm is named when it is expected to cause medium or high impacts, usually from strong winds, although heavy rain and snow are also considered.

Missing letters

The list does not include names beginning with Q, U, X, Y or Z, in line with the naming convention used by weather services in the United States, so that names are consistent across the Atlantic.

How often do storms reach Birmingham?

Being far from the coast, Birmingham is usually less exposed to the strongest winds than western and northern coasts, but named storms can still bring damaging gusts, fallen trees, travel disruption and flooding to the city.

Be prepared

With an unsettled spell possible in the coming days, it is a good time to check the Met Office forecast regularly, secure loose items in gardens and clear gutters and drains.