Three storms will have Irish names this year, Met Éireann have announced. 

The weather forecaster and its British counterpart, the Met Office, get together annually and brainstorm what to call the worst weather events of the year ahead. 

In 2022 and 2023, storms will called Íde, Cillian, Ruadhán, Antoni, Betty, Daisy, Elliot, Fleur, Glen, Hendrika, Johanna, Khalid, Loes, Mark, Nelly, Owain, Priya, Sam, Tobias, Val and Wouter.

The Poolbeg lighthouse in Dublin is hit by rough waves. Photo by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Storms only get a name when they are forecast to have a ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impact on either Ireland or Britain and meteorologists believe naming them makes people take their warnings more seriously: 

“The annual unveiling of the new storm names on the 1st September creates greater public awareness,” Evelyn Cusack, Head of Forecasting Division in Met Éireann, explained. 

“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 list of names will help us to prepare society for extreme weather events which is all the more important in our changing climate”. 

People who are keen to remain up to date with weather events in Ireland are encouraged to download the Met Éireann app. 

Main image: Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill Co. Galway being battered by waves.