Met Office reveals 21 new storm names for 2026-2027 – from Shaun the Sheep to a Labrador puppy

SHAUN The Sheep and a Labrador puppy known as the “absolute destructor” are among the inspirations for storm names picked by the Met Office this year. The public has been able to put forward names every year since 2015 but only a small number are usually chosen. Storm names are designed to encourage awareness of extreme weather Credit: Alamy Live News. More than 40,000 suggestions were submitted for the 2026/2027 season, with just 21 taken up. Storm names for this year and next include Austen, Boelo and Chloe, the first three on the alphabetical list. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! These are followed by Dano and Evelyn. Storms are named by the UK Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann or the Netherlands’ KNMI when they are forecast to cause “medium” or “high” impacts. Shaun also joined the list – at number 18 – following a public vote that was run as part of a collaboration with the British animation studio Aardman, which was behind the beloved show Wallace and Gromit. The aim of the collaboration was to reach new audiences and encourage conversations on severe weather. Other names submitted included those in honour of much-loved Labrador puppy Ivy and a two-year-old boy called Finn, described by his family as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”. The 21 storm names for 2026/2027 Austen (chosen by Ireland) Boelo (Boo-loh) (Netherlands) Chloe (UK) Dano (Dah-noh) (Netherlands) Evelyn (Ireland) Finn (UK) Gwendolyn (Netherlands) Heather (Ireland) Ivy (UK) Jade (Netherlands) Kilian (Ireland) Laoise (Lee-sha) (Ireland) Miriam (Ireland) Nicola (UK) Olaf (Netherlands) Phelim (Fay-lim) (Ireland) Ruban (UK) Shaun (UK) Theo (UK) Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (Netherlands) Wende (Vhen-duh) (Netherlands) The final list is unveiled on September 1 every year, while to ensure consistency with the US National Hurricane Centre naming conventions, names that begin with the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used. Most read in The Sun It coincides with the start of autumn when the likelihood of low-pressure systems and the potential for storms severe enough to be named increases. Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively. “A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.” Comment now