Austen, Boelo, Evelyn among storm names for 2026-27
The list of storm names for the 2026-27 season has been officially announced by Met Éireann, the UK's Met Office, and the Dutch forecasting service KNMI. The list includes 21 names, with Austen, Boelo, and Evelyn being the first named storms of the winter season. Four of the names, Austen, Evelyn, Kilian, and Miriam, are historically significant, chosen to commemorate Met Éireann's 90th anniversary. Austen honors the organization's first director, Austen Nagle, while Evelyn recognizes Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present the weather on RTÉ. Other names like Heather, Laoise, and Phelim were selected through a public campaign. The practice of naming storms aims to improve communication of severe weather risks and raise public awareness.
Former Met Éireann forecaster Evelyn Cusack has found herself in an unexpected position after her name was chosen for inclusion in Ireland’s new list of storm names for the 2026/27 season. The 21 names, which will be used until 31 August 2027, include Storm Evelyn, a nod to both Cusack and Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to work as a meteorologist at Met Éireann and the first female to present the weather forecast on RTÉ television in 1983. Cusack, who retired in 2023 after 42 years with the service, admitted she hoped the storm would not cause serious damage, though she joked that a small part of her would like to see the name used. The storm naming system, introduced in 2015 by Met Éireann and the UK’s Met Office, aims to make severe weather alerts more accessible to the public. It was expanded in 2019 to include the Netherlands’ KNMI. Each country contributes seven names to the annual list, with the 2026/27 season featuring names such as Austen, Boelo, Chloe, Dano, Finn, Gwendolyn, Heather, Ivy, Jade, Kilian, Laoise, Miriam, Nicola, Olaf, Phelim, Ruban, Shaun, Theo, Vesna and Wende. The system allows for quicker communication of storm threats and encourages public engagement with weather forecasts. Cusack, who played a key role in introducing the naming system in Ireland, noted that being associated with a storm name is an unusual experience. “The shoe is on the other foot now,” she said. While she hopes Storm Evelyn does not become a major threat, she acknowledged that if the storm occurs during winter, people might curse the name. Cusack, who was the first female head of forecasting at Met Éireann and one of the longest-serving TV weather presenters, reflected on the evolution of the profession, noting that weather forecasting was once considered a male-dominated field. The naming of Storm Evelyn honors two trailblazing women in meteorology. Evelyn Murphy, who worked at Met Éireann and later headed the marine unit, was instrumental in creating the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network. Her 1983 television debut marked a historic moment, with photographs of her appearing on newspaper front pages the following day. Cusack described Murphy’s achievement as a milestone for women in the field. Other names on the list also pay tribute to historical figures. Storm Miriam is named after Miriam Lyons, the first woman to work as an operational meteorological officer at Met Éireann in 1978. She was also the first Irish woman to fly in a jet fighter while stationed at Casement Aerodrome. Storm Austen is named after Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service, while Storm Kilian honors P Kilian Rohan, who directed the service from 1978 to 1981. Public input also shaped some of the names. Heather, Laoise and Phelim were selected from a list of nominations submitted by the Irish public last year. The UK’s Met Office chose Storm Finn, inspired by a mother who described her two-year-old son as “wild.” Meanwhile, the Dutch KNMI contributed names such as Boelo, Vesna and Wende, adding cultural diversity to the list. Met Éireann’s head of forecasting division, Eoin Sherlock, emphasized the effectiveness of the storm naming system, citing increased website traffic and social media engagement during storm events. He stated that naming storms helps people better understand and respond to weather alerts. With the 2026/27 storm season beginning on Tuesday, the public can expect a mix of traditional and contemporary names, reflecting both history and modernity in Ireland’s approach to weather forecasting.
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Former Met Éireann forecaster Evelyn Cusack humorously expressed mixed feelings about her name being included in Ireland's new list of storm names for the 2026/27 season. The list includes 21 names, with Evelyn honoring both Cusack and Evelyn Murphy, the first female meteorologist on RTÉ television. Cusack, who played a key role in introducing storm naming in Ireland, joked that she would like to see 'Storm Evelyn' make an appearance but admitted she wouldn't want it to be a severe storm. The naming system, developed through collaboration between Met Éireann, the UK’s Met Office, and the Netherlands’ KNMI, aims to improve public awareness and preparedness for potentially damaging weather events.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a balanced account of Evelyn Cusack's personal reaction to her name being used for a storm, focusing on her professional contributions and historical significance rather than taking a partisan stance. While the topic relates to government services and public policy, the framing,
Why factuality (85): The article accurately reports that Evelyn Cusack's name was included in the 2026/27 storm naming list, and provides context about her role in introducing storm naming in Ireland. However, it doesn't mention the book 'They Say It Might Rain' or its publication date, which is relevant to the primary
Why objectivity (88): The tone remains largely neutral and journalistic, presenting Cusack's comments objectively. There is a slight humorous tone in quoting her joke about hoping for a minor storm, but no overt bias or spin is evident.
The list of storm names for the 2026-27 season has been officially announced by Met Éireann, the UK's Met Office, and the Dutch forecasting service KNMI. The list includes 21 names, with Austen, Boelo, and Evelyn being the first named storms of the winter season. Four of the names, Austen, Evelyn, Kilian, and Miriam, are historically significant, chosen to commemorate Met Éireann's 90th anniversary. Austen honors the organization's first director, Austen Nagle, while Evelyn recognizes Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present the weather on RTÉ. Other names like Heather, Laoise, and Phelim were selected through a public campaign. The practice of naming storms aims to improve communication of severe weather risks and raise public awareness.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a balanced overview of the storm naming process, highlighting both historical significance and public engagement. It does not exhibit overtly biased language, framing, or sourcing. The focus is on the procedural and commemorative aspects rather than any political controversy.
Why factuality (80): The article accurately states that Evelyn is one of the storm names for 2026-27 and explains its historical significance. It mentions Evelyn Murphy but does not link the storm naming to the book 'They Say It Might Rain,' which is a notable omission given the primary source document. The information
Why objectivity (90): The article presents the information in a clear, neutral manner without apparent bias. It focuses on the official announcement and provides background on the naming process, maintaining a professional and objective tone throughout.
The Irish meteorological service, Met Éireann, has announced the list of storm names set to be used in 2026. These names are part of a standard practice among meteorological agencies worldwide to identify and track severe weather systems. The naming convention helps raise awareness and facilitates communication during extreme weather events. The specific names chosen for 2026 were revealed in a recent announcement by Met Éireann, though the article does not provide the full list. This process allows for consistent tracking and public alerting regarding potential storms.
Bias read (Center): The article discusses a routine administrative action by a national meteorological agency, which is a public service function. There is no evident ideological framing, partisan emphasis, or biased language. It simply reports on the release of storm names for future tracking purposes, without takinga
Why factuality (75): The article correctly identifies that Evelyn is one of the storm names for 2026-27 and mentions its significance. However, it lacks specific details about why Evelyn was chosen, such as honoring Evelyn Murphy, and fails to connect the storm naming initiative to the broader context of the book mentio
Why objectivity (85): The article maintains a neutral tone overall, focusing on the announcement of the storm names and their significance. It avoids taking sides or injecting opinion, though it could have provided more balanced coverage by mentioning the book's release date and relevance to the topic.
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