Warnings of Storm Cillian are likely in the coming months, but overseas forecasters may be spared getting their tongue around traditional Irish names Íde and Ruadhán.
The names are among 21 agreed by Met Éireann, the UK’s Met Office and Dutch forecasters KNMI for the imminent storm season.
However it is not expected there will be enough so severe that any more than five or six will be officially titled.
“We only got as far as E last year,” says Met Éireann’s head of forecasting Evelyn Cusack.
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“I’m pretty confident we won’t be getting to Íde and Ruadhán this year. If we get to Ruadhán there will be 17 storms — I think I’ll definitely be reaching for the Valium if we have that many.”
The first storm of the new season — which runs from September 1st to August 31st 2023 — is Antoni, the Dutch version of Anthony, picked by the Netherlands. Then it will be Betty, Cillian, Daisy, Elliot and Fleur.
“I’m not mad about Daisy,” Ms Cusack admits of the UK pick. “It is such a light and happy name. The same with Betty — they are not very threatening, are they?”
She chose Íde herself, after a schoolfriend, who is now an academic. Ms Cusack was quick to stress that there was nothing stormy about her old friend’s temperament.
Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands agree every year on the names of storms with help from suggestions from the public.
Following the convention set by the US National Hurricane Center they alternate between traditionally male and female names.
This year, according to Ms Cusack, the UK’s Met Office suggested that more gender-neutral names be decided.
“But, I don’t know if we managed that,” she says.
Also included are Glen, Hendrika, Johanna, Khalid, Loes, Mark, Nelly, Owain, Priya, Sam, Tobias, Val and Wouter.
Public awareness
Since the Netherlands joined with Ireland and the UK in one of Europe’s international storm-naming groups three years ago, there are less traditional Irish names.
“We have a new forecaster called Mark [Bowe],” says Ms Cusack.
“He’s a young guy from Meath and he came to us from the New Zealand met service. He is on the radio at the moment, and hopefully he will be on our screens before Christmas.
“It would be a coincidence if he was making his television debut announcing Storm Mark. But I’m not predicting we will get as far as M.”
While forecasters attribute a name to each storm, working through the list alphabetically, “there has been a suggestion we might start at the end of the list next year and work backwards,” says Ms Cusack.
“Just to mix it up.”
Storms are named when they threaten “medium or high” impacts in one of the three countries involved in the annual list. Warnings can be for wind, rain or snow or a combination of some or all of the conditions.
This, says Ms Cusack, creates greater public awareness and “crucially during the winter when a storm is named for its potential Orange/Red impacts, it creates a more impactful public call to action helping to save lives and property.”
“During past storms, the public have responded positively to the advice given by experts and this new roster of names will help us to continue to mobilise everyone to ensure we all work to minimise the effects of future events,” she adds.
This year’s full list of storm names is: Antoni, Betty, Cillian, Daisy, Elliot, Fleur, Glen, Hendrika, Íde, Johanna, Khalid, Loes, Mark, Nelly, Owain, Priya, Ruadhán, Sam, Tobias, Val and Wouter.