France’s next major storm could carry a name suggested by a member of the public
Famous storm names from recent decades include Storm Xynthia, which killed dozens of people in France in 2010, and Storm Ciarán, which caused widespread disruption across western Europe in 2023
James Whitlock / Shutterstock
Storm names could soon be chosen by members of the public, after the French weather service launched a consultation inviting people to suggest names for future tempests affecting the country and neighbouring parts of Europe.
The initiative, open until May 21, comes as France prepares to draw up the official list of storm names for the 2026/27 season, which begins on September 1.
Storm naming in western Europe is coordinated between several national weather agencies and is designed to improve public awareness and safety messaging during severe weather events.
Why storms are given names
A storm is only named when forecasters expect it to trigger a dangerous weather alert in one of six participating countries: France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg and Andorra.
The meteorological service expected to issue the first alert chooses the next available name from a pre-agreed alphabetical list. The storm then keeps that name throughout its life cycle, even if it later moves across borders.
Météo-France says naming storms helps make warnings clearer and easier for the public to follow. The practice was first adopted in the UK and Ireland in 2015, before spreading across Europe through the EUMETNET “Storm Naming” system.
Research cited by weather agencies has suggested people pay closer attention to safety advice when dangerous weather is associated with a recognisable name.
Regional wind events such as the mistral are not included in the system and are therefore not named.
Public asked to help choose names
The current 2025/26 storm list includes names such as Alice, Benjamin, Claudia, Emilia and Wilma.
This year France is responsible for proposing the next list and, for the first time, Météo-France has invited the public to contribute suggestions.
Not all letters are permitted. Rare initials including Q, U, X, Y and Z are excluded to ensure enough usable names are available each season.
Nemo Pawlowski, a forecaster at Météo-France, said the aim was to increase public engagement with weather alerts and dangerous conditions.
“Getting people more involved in the choice of names and in following dangerous weather situations means people are more aware and more engaged,” he told France Télévisions.
Storm naming in Europe has changed significantly in recent years.
Atlantic and European depressions were traditionally named by the Free University of Berlin. France and its regional partners later created their own coordinated system intended for use by media outlets, institutions and the public.
Famous storm names from recent decades include Storm Xynthia, which killed dozens of people in France in 2010, and Storm Ciarán, which caused widespread disruption across western Europe in 2023.
People can submit suggestions via the Météo-France consultation page until May 21