Nigel and Steve among new storm names - terrifying

Trust the British to make potentially devastating storms sound massively boring and unfailingly polite.

Nigel, Steve, Barney, Desmond, Wendy and Tegan are among the names chosen by members of the public to identify future storms that threaten the UK and Ireland, after the Met Office heard from thousands via Facebook, Twitter and email.

A common occurrence in the US, where nature’s freakish might in those volatile, tornado-prone lands, it is hoped that naming storms over here will help raise awareness of severe weather and help the public track the blighters and protect themselves.

Pulled from the list in alphabetical order, and alternating between male and female names, the next severe storm on these shores will be known as Storm Abigail, followed by Storm Barney, with a name for each letter of the alphabet. All except for Q, U, X, Y and Z.

The full list, reading like a Neighbourhood Watch group from some bucolic village, is as follows: Abigail, Barney, Clodagh, Desmond, Eva (that one's not bad), Frank, Gertrude, Henry, Imogen, Jake, Katie, Lawrence, Mary, Nigel, Orla, Phil, Rhonda, Steve, Tegan, Vernon and Wendy. Terrifying.

Derrick Ryall, head of the public weather service at the Met Office, has previously said at the time the name search was announced: "We hope that naming storms in line with the official severe weather warnings here will do the same and ensure everyone can keep themselves, their property and businesses safe and protected at times of severe weather."

And let’s hope there’s far less destruction and irony than with the storms named in the US. Katrina really did have waves.

[Via: BBC]