#NameOurStorms: is it a good idea?

[Jo Farrow]

Still nothing from our list but Gerard (in the English Channel tonight) followed by Fien on Tuesday. Meteo france and then AEMET Spain.

Cold Arctic air and two European storms, Gerard and Fien, add to a wintry week

WWW.NETWEATHER.TV

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It will feel much colder across the UK and western Europe this week with air from the north. Two named storms will bring rain, sleet and snow as northern Scotland sees snow showers for days.

 

[The PIT]

Well another day that would have got a storm rating last year. Glad the naming idea looks to have been dropped. 68 mph gusts in the peak district.

[Beverley Lass]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64454569?xtor=ES-211-[58171_PANUK_DIV_05_NCA_ShellProfits_RET_ABC]-20230202-[bbcnews_whynowinterstormsthisyearweather_newsuk]

There's a quite lengthy article in this BBC news link re. the lack of named wind storms .

[Jo Farrow]

2 hours ago, Beverley Lass said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64454569?xtor=ES-211-[58171_PANUK_DIV_05_NCA_ShellProfits_RET_ABC]-20230202-[bbcnews_whynowinterstormsthisyearweather_newsuk]

There's a quite lengthy article in this BBC news link re. the lack of named wind storms .

Just bizarre though when naming storms is so subjective. Are the winds going to be worthy of an amber warning, because of the impacts in a location, is the population density enough, time of day/ of the week?

In the early years, it was more of a "thing" to name a low.  Now MO almost seems not bothered to go anywhere near Named Storms. Except for the initial annual ANNOUNCEMENT list each autumn of all the names that will never be used. Yes,, a blocking high will make a difference over winter but some of the stormy weather that Scotland has experienced would have been named if it was further south or even 12 hours later (say on a Monday morning).

[The PIT]

Glad you find it bizarre as well. I don't like the impact idea as well. I think if conditions meet a certain level for example gusts to 60mph then the system gets named.

[The PIT]

Although not named by the Met Office Otto did indeed produce some windy conditions here for a short while.  Scotland certainly will have storms close to Otto but not named perhaps they ought to give the apprentice at the met office access to a computer and keyboard.

[Weather-history]

15 hours ago, The PIT said:

Although not named by the Met Office Otto did indeed produce some windy conditions here for a short while.  Scotland certainly will have storms close to Otto but not named perhaps they ought to give the apprentice at the met office access to a computer and keyboard.

Don't get it. 

The low pressure was going to affect the UK before Denmark and yet Denmark names it. 

 

Also O is the 15th letter of the alphabet, it looks as though there have been 14 named storms already this season when infact the Danish naming system is different from the Met Office's one. 

Its a mess of a system

[Jo Farrow]

Major disruption yesterday on rail network. #stormOtto (named by DMI Danish Met.) speed restrictions due to high winds, then debris on line near Berwick & object impacting overhead wires, stopped east coast line electric trains. Was glad for once to be on a diesel Cross Country train. Half term travel (& vehicle hitting a bridge near Darlington)

Did Denmark leap in that early? Its half term here, starting or ending for most. There were major impacts to travel (A1 and ferries) on a Friday and loss of power which is ongoing for some households. What is it going to take for a name?. Another moving of the goal posts with 'the most impacts were for Denmark' so now the criteria for naming a UK storm also has to look at the whole of Europe  . 

Stop the annual social media fanfare in September if this 'name our storms ' is no longer a thing for UK Met Office. 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

1 hour ago, Weather-history said:

Don't get it. 

The low pressure was going to affect the UK before Denmark and yet Denmark names it. 

 

Also O is the 15th letter of the alphabet, it looks as though there have been 14 named storms already this season when infact the Danish naming system is different from the Met Office's one. 

Its a mess of a system

Anniversary of named storm just before half term last year, Friday 18th, Eunice, horrid day

[The PIT]

3 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

Anniversary of named storm just before half term last year, Friday 18th, Eunice, horrid day

Interestingly we recorded the exact gust speed of 61mph plus we had a bit of snow as well which we didn't this year just spring like temperatures.

[The PIT]

3 hours ago, Jo Farrow said:

Major disruption yesterday on rail network. #stormOtto (named by DMI Danish Met.) speed restrictions due to high winds, then debris on line near Berwick & object impacting overhead wires, stopped east coast line electric trains. Was glad for once to be on a diesel Cross Country train. Half term travel (& vehicle hitting a bridge near Darlington)

Did Denmark leap in that early? Its half term here, starting or ending for most. There were major impacts to travel (A1 and ferries) on a Friday and loss of power which is ongoing for some households. What is it going to take for a name?. Another moving of the goal posts with 'the most impacts were for Denmark' so now the criteria for naming a UK storm also has to look at the whole of Europe  . 

Stop the annual social media fanfare in September if this 'name our storms ' is no longer a thing for UK Met Office. 

Glad you sound bemused as well.

The original idea was good but poorly implemented with total inconsistency.  I'm no fan of the impact idea 60 to 70 mph gusts  have a potential impact regardless of the time of day and the size of the population. Most people aren't like us and would go walking in the hills without checking the forecast first where a named storm may make them think a little bit.  Netweather users would look at  the forecast okay gusts to 50 mph so not a good idea to walk on Man Tor.

The way I see if 50 to 70 mph gusts lasting hour or more name the it. Rainfall say 50mm plus name it etc.

[Ross90]

5 minutes ago, The PIT said:

Glad you sound bemused as well.

The original idea was good but poorly implemented with total inconsistency.  I'm no fan of the impact idea 60 to 70 mph gusts  have a potential impact regardless of the time of day and the size of the population. Most people aren't like us and would go walking in the hills without checking the forecast first where a named storm may make them think a little bit.  Netweather users would look at  the forecast okay gusts to 50 mph so not a good idea to walk on Man Tor.

The way I see if 50 to 70 mph gusts lasting hour or more name the it. Rainfall say 50mm plus name it etc.

I'd maybe up it to 60mph. 50mph would be unpleasant to walk in and possibly dangerous if somebody decided to go hill walking but it's not likely to result in bridge closures, travel disruption or damage. Plus is there really any need for a named storm and the publicity that goes with it if it's only affecting the far NW and maybe a few thousand people? I can see why they factor things like that into it to avoid sensationalist headlines. A storm should only be named if it's likely to affect at least the majoirty of one country in the UK in my opinion.

[The PIT]

1 minute ago, Ross90 said:

I'd maybe up it to 60mph. 50mph would be unpleasant to walk in and possibly dangerous if somebody decided to go hill walking but it's not likely to result in bridge closures, travel disruption or damage. Plus is there really any need for a named storm and the publicity that goes with it if it's only affecting the far NW and maybe a few thousand people? I can see why they factor things like that into it to avoid sensationalist headlines. A storm should only be named if it's likely to affect at least the majoirty of one country in the UK in my opinion.

I think the people in the north west would disagree with you there. less time I checked they were still human. LOL. Impact is impact regardless of the size of the population. Apart from Storm chasers it should prevent people going to those areas. The papers make their own headlines up regardless, weren't  we supposed to be under a load of snow this week and arctic temperatures last week? 

Like the year of the barque summer where one throw away comment by someone who should have known was taken over the long range summer forecast. 

[Ross90]

I'm in the North West maybe not the far NW but the central belt. There have been named storms affecting mostly Scotland that had next to no impact here other than a breezy day. For me a yellow warning would be enough there's no need to name every moderately deep low pressure system that comes close to us. Those in the NW are most used to those conditions too, especially on the islands which regularly get 60 - 80mph winds during the winter.

[Nick L]

11 hours ago, I remember Atlantic 252 said:

Anniversary of named storm just before half term last year, Friday 18th, Eunice, horrid day

When the Met Office issued red warnings at 4am on the morning of the event 

[Bristawl Si]

What storms?!

[Methuselah]

1 minute ago, Bristle Si said:

What storms?!

IMO, it's about as much use as #nameoursnowflake! 

[Jo Farrow]

SouthWestern group are galloping ahead in the naming stakes #TempêteLarisa

from MEteo France for the low moving over UK tonight that has 3 UK amber warnings for snow and blizzard conditions in the strong winds. 

Still no Storm Antoni here. 

[Weather-history]

How ridiculous this naming system has become.

Storm Otto, Storm Larissa.

Storm Larissa has had more more of an impact on the UK than NW France, yet doesn't meet Met Office criteria under the naming system.

 

[Paul]

It seems like they've forgotten about it, or got bored with it. 

[Sentinel]

They can call them what they like, I just want to see some storms!

[Summer8906]

I think they need to name storms which produce unusually high amounts of rain, not just wind.

This autumn and winter had plenty of those (in Sep-mid Jan at least) yet none were named. Remarkable that an autumn/winter that was pretty unsettled on the whole until mid-Jan has had no named storms.

[The PIT]

10 hours ago, Paul said:

It seems like they've forgotten about it, or got bored with it. 

I reckon the temp left and they forgot to employ a replacement. Or they have died at the desk and they are presuming they are asleep.

[alexisj9]

6 hours ago, Summer8906 said:

I think they need to name storms which produce unusually high amounts of rain, not just wind.

This autumn and winter had plenty of those (in Sep-mid Jan at least) yet none were named. Remarkable that an autumn/winter that was pretty unsettled on the whole until mid-Jan has had no named storms.

It does say for any type of amber, perhaps France named it first again, I do believe this low pressure should have been named by us, just for it's effects on electricity in some areas, and the peak District which did get snowed in.

[Mapantz]

7 hours ago, Summer8906 said:

I think they need to name storms which produce unusually high amounts of rain, not just wind.

They have, several times.