Hugo Duncan delighted to have storm named after him

Hugo Duncan

Radio Ulster presenter Hugo Duncan is well known as a singer and broadcaster and now members of the public have chosen the name Hugo for storm 'H' - much to his delight.

Ashley, Darragh and Conall are also among a list of new names that will be given to storms that reach Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands in the next 12 months.

This practice, started in 2015, enhances communication about severe weather, as highlighted by Will Lang, Head of Situational Awareness at the Met Office.

"Naming storms makes communication about severe weather clearer, which helps people stay safe.”

The 2023/24 season recorded a record 12 named storms, illustrating the unpredictable nature of storm activity.

Storm Lilian, on the 24th of August 2024, also marked the first time the letter 'L' had been reached on the list of names.

In celebration of its 170-year history, the Met Office has named three historic figures in the storm list.

James pays tribute to Group Captain James Stagg, whose critical D-Day weather forecast was vital to the success of the Allied invasion in World War II.

Lewis honours Lewis Fry Richardson, a pioneer who first used mathematics and early computer models for weather forecasting.

Mavis recognises Mavis Hinds, who contributed to developing pioneering computer systems at the Met Office, advancing numerical weather prediction.

The Met Office, along with Ireland's Met Éireann and the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI), name storms to increase public awareness and encourage preparedness.

The Met Office say that this practice enhances communication about severe weather

The new storm list kicks off with Ashley, Bert, and Conall.

Storms are named when they have the potential to cause 'medium' or 'high' impacts due to factors such as high winds, heavy rain, or snow.

Names for the upcoming season were also selected by KNMI from an environment fair, and by Met Éireann from children participating in a STEM event.

Although Met Éireann received more than 500 suggestions, it also asked members of the public to chose between Hugo and Harvey for storm 'H.

Ultimately, Hugo won the battle and is included in the list of names for the year ahead.

Speaking to BBC News in July, Hugo said “It would be great to have a storm named after me because people say I start a storm everywhere."

According to Eoin Sherlock, Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann, naming storms helps raise awareness.

“Our key priority is to help protect life and property from extreme weather and ensure the safety of our communities," he said.

"Naming each storm increases the level of public safety and preparedness as people are more likely to remember and respond to warnings when storms are named."

KNMI’s Senior Forecaster Jos Diepeveen added: "Through recognisable names, we hope to reach as many people as possible with our warning before the weather strikes."

The letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used, which is consistent with international storm-naming conventions.

Storms named by other countries keep their name if they reach British, Irish or Dutch shores.