Met Office reveals storm names for 2022/2023: prepare to be battered by Khalid and Priya

Storms have been named in project involving UK, Irish and Netherlands meteorological organisations

A wave crashes over Newhaven lighthouse at West Quay in East Sussex, England, on February 20. PA

Batten down the hatches … Antoni, Betty and Cillian could be paying you a visit.

The Met Office has announced its naming system for storms that cause "medium" or "high" impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.

This will be the eighth year of the storm-naming partnership, which is run in conjunction with Met Eireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands.

The collaborative naming project helps to raise awareness and inform the public of the risks of coming storms.

Antoni will be the first named storm of the new season. In addition to strong winds, effects from rain and snow will also be considered in the naming process.

The Met Office’s names in the list have come through submissions from the public, with Daisy, Glen, Khalid and Owain some of those submitted, showing the breadth of names in use across the UK.

Betty ran out winner of a public vote on Met Office Twitter, with more than 12,000 votes cast to select the name for the letter B.

KNMI’s selected names, including Antoni, Hendrika, Johanna and Loes, are named after influential Dutch scientists. Met Eireann’s submissions include Cillian, Fleur, Ide and Nelly.

Storm Arwen hits the UK - in pictures

Waves crash against Roker Lighthouse in Sunderland, northern England during Storm Arwen. The storm's 160kph gusts battered parts of the UK at the weekend. Photo: PA

A fallen tree in Crook, Cumbria, which was brought down by Storm Arwen. Photo: PA

Fallen garden trees in Wallasey Village, Wirral, England. Photo: PA

Storm Arwen brought down this tree in Willaston, Cheshire. Photo: PA

Falling masonry damaged this car in Sunderland, northern England. Photo: PA

A fallen tree blocks a road in the centre of Norton village, County Durham after Storm Arwen's gusts of almost 160kph battered some areas of the UK. Photo: PA

A homeowner, who lost the roof of his house in strong winds, takes a picture of his property in Blackhall, County Durham. Photo: PA

A lorry blown over by high winds blocks a road near Hartlepool, County Durham. Photo: PA

“We know from seven years of doing this that naming storms works," said the Met Office's Will Lang, who leads responses in times of severe weather.

"Last year, Storms Arwen and Eunice brought some severe impacts to the UK and we know that naming storms helps to raise awareness and give the public the information they need to stay safe in times of severe weather."

Met Office post-event surveys show that 98 per cent of those in the red warning area in the south-east for Storm Eunice were aware of the threat, and 91 per cent of those acted to protect themselves, their property or business.

“Recent impactful storms demonstrated our ongoing need to communicate severe weather in a clear way to help the public protect themselves," Mr Lang said.

"Naming storms is just one way that we know helps to raise awareness of severe weather and provides clarity for the public when they need it most.”

Storm Eunice – in pictures

A Thames clipper sails past the O2 Arena in London, after parts of its roof were ripped off in high winds as Storm Eunice struck. PA

Damage to the roof of the O2 Arena in south-east London, caused by Storm Eunice. PA

Pub staff move chairs through floodwater in heavy snow in York city centre, after Storm Eunice brought damage, disruption and record-breaking gusts of wind to the UK and Ireland. PA

Sven Good, 23, looks at the damage caused to his bedroom at his family home in Stondon Massey, near Brentwood, Essex, after a 400-year-old oak tree in the garden was uprooted by Storm Eunice. PA

Debris is seen in a bedroom at the home of Dominic Good, a day after a 400-year-old oak tree in the garden was uprooted by Storm Eunice, in Stondon Massey, near Brentwood, Essex, England. AP

Workers carry out repairs on an overhead line and a railway in Maarssen, the Netherlands, after Storm Eunice hit northern Europe. AFP

Members of the public brace against the wind and wet weather in Westminster, central London. AP

A fallen tree blocks a road in Tenby. Reuters

A coastguard search and rescue team in New Brighton, Merseyside. PA

A fallen tree brought down by strong winds during Storm Eunice in London. EPA

A car crushed by a falling branch in Lyme Regis. PA

A sign at London's Paddington Station shows cancelled trains after Storm Eunice hit the south coast of England. Millions of people were advised to stay at home by the authorities. PA

A local butcher carries his shop sign across a snowy pavement in Tow Law, County Durham, north-east England, after wintry weather had hit much of the country. PA

Waves hits Porthleven in Cornwall, south-west England. Winds of 148 kilometres an hour were recorded further east along the coast. PA

A man clears snow in Tow Law, County Durham. PA

Waves crash over the sea wall at the harbour in Lyme Regis in Dorset, south-west England. PA

Frosty conditions in Scotland's capital Edinburgh. PA

A fallen tree blocks Egloshayle Road in Wadebridge, Cornwall. PA

Motorists drive through sleet and snow on the M8 motorway near Bathgate, in West Lothian, Scotland. PA

Evelyn Cusack, head of forecasting at Met Eireann, said naming storms was a very important tool in the National Met Services’ warnings arsenal.

“The annual unveiling of the new storm names on September 1 creates great media and public interest," Ms Cusack said.

"More importantly, though, during the winter when a storm is named for potential orange/red impacts, it creates a great media and public ‘call to action’, helping to save lives and property.”

Storm Dudley batters UK as weather warning is issued - video

“News on severe weather is not limited to national boundaries," said KNMI head of forecasting Jan Rozema.

"So the message to UK, Irish and Dutch inhabitants will be much appreciated and understood if we share the same information, starting with storm names.

"This year we had a good example. Three named storms affected the Netherlands within a week.

"A rare red warning was issued for storm Eunice, one of the most severe storms in 50 years. Storms Dudley and Franklin also brought significant weather impacts.

"For us at KNMI, it is a great privilege and advantage to work in close co-operation with our colleagues from Ireland and the UK in the communication about storms."

Full list of storm names for 2022-2023:

- Antoni

- Betty

- Cillian (kill-ee-an)

- Daisy

- Elliot

- Fleur

- Glen

- Hendrika (hen-dree-ka)

- Ide (ee-da)

- Johanna (yo-hah-na)

- Khalid

- Loes (l-oo-s)

- Mark

- Nelly

- Owain (oh-wine)

- Priya

- Ruadhan (ru-awe-on)

- Sam

- Tobias

- Val

- Wouter (vow-ter)