Much of the UK has felt the effects of Storm Dudley so far this week, and we are now bracing ourselves for the arrival of Storm Eunice.
After it was reported earlier this week that Greater Manchester and widespread parts of the country were to be hit by two storms within three days, which would bring strong winds, heavy rain showers, and even some snow and ‘blizzard conditions’, Storm Dudley arrived on Tuesday night into Wednesday, and left thousands of homes without power, and also caused travel chaos on roads and train lines.
Yellow weather alerts with an amber warnings were put in place by the Met Office and now, people are being warned to prepare for even worse weather as Storm Eunice moves in and threatens “significant disruption” for much of the UK.
Storm Eunice is coming with a ‘danger to life’ warning, and people are being advised to stay indoors and avoid all unnecessary travel.
As well as the amber alert in place covering all of the north, and widespread parts of England for tomorrow, unfortunately, there’s also warnings of further power outages and disruption to transport services as well.
#StormEunice will bring extremely strong #winds to much of the UK on #Friday, with dangerous conditions around the coasts 🌬️
Heavy #snow and blizzards will also affect some northern areas ❄️⚠️
But aside from all of the doom and gloom, every time a new storm comes around, there’s one question that’s always on the UK’s lips – what the heck are those names?
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From Barney, Christoph, and Barra, to Arwen, Malik, and most-recently, Corrie, storm names always seem to grab the headlines, and not just for the dreadful weather conditions that they bring, but also because it leaves people wondering what the names are all about, who came up with them, and what are the next names we can expect.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Why do storms get named?
Since ‘Name our Storms’ first launched in 2015, the Met Office has issued a new list of names each September, and the list runs from early September to late August the following year, which coincides with the start of autumn when the likelihood of low pressure systems and the potential for named storms increase.
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According to the Met Office, the naming of storms using a single authoritative system aids the communication of approaching severe weather through media partners and other government agencies.
In other words, they’re easier to remember and thus remind people to stay safe.
Heavy rain hits Exchange Square in Manchester city centre / Credit: Instagram (@mariapage)
How are the names chosen, and when do storms get announced?
The Met Office collaborates with Met Éireann and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) to name storms, and choose the current list by asking the public to send in suggestions, of which they usually receive thousands of every year.
Chosen names are meant to be “popular names and names that reflect the diversity of Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands”.
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The list of storm names run from early September to late August the following year.
What are the next storms called?
Even though much of the UK is still reeling from Storm Dudley and is currently preparing for Storm Eunice to hit, what other storm names have been announced by the Met Office for the rest of 2022?
Here’s the full list of names chosen by the Met Office for 2021/22:
Today we announced the new list of storm names for 2021-22 in partnership with @MetEireann and @KNMI
Tracey Neville appointed as Managing Director of brand new Stockport County Women’s team
Danny Jones
Stockport County FC have finally and officially launched their new women’s team in what they are hailing as a “new era” for the female football in the area.
Moreover, they’ve hired an experienced international coach to head up the department, with Tracey Neville MBE selected as the Managing Director of the new outfit.
Sister to footballing brothers Phil and Gary Neville, but with an oft-overlooked impressive reputation of her own – having not only won bronze at both the 1998 Commonwealth Games and World Netball Championship in ’99 before going on to coach her national team – she arrives with plenty of pedigree.
Now swapping her discipline for a different set of nets, Tracey Neville will lead the pre-existing Stockport County Ladies setup into their next modern chapter as the SCFC Women.
The club is delighted to announce the launch of Stockport County Women, marking an exciting new era for women’s football in our town.
Writing in a short announcement on social media, the Hatters said: “The club is delighted to announce the launch of Stockport County Women, marking an exciting new era for women’s football in our town.
“Founded in 1989 as Stockport County Ladies, the team has spent 37 years as a volunteer-led community club, providing opportunities for women and girls across the borough.
“From the 2026–27 season, the team will compete as Stockport County Women, reflecting the growth of the women’s game and the club’s commitment to equality and opportunity.”
Also confirming the appointment of an experienced women’s and international sports personality, Tracey Neville, as the new MD, they’ve issued a clear mission statement.
Put simply, she and the rest of her staff are going to be tasked with creating “a clear pathway from grassroots to elite women’s football for Stopfordians.”
Commenting on her new role in a lengthier club statement, Neville said: “I am incredibly proud to be joining Stockport County at such a pivotal moment for the club and for the women’s game.
“My career in elite sport has shown me what is possible when there is a clear vision, strong leadership and a genuine commitment to developing talent from the ground up. Women’s football is at a defining point, and Stockport has the opportunity to do something special.
She goes on to add: “This is a community club with deep roots, and my focus will be on creating a clear, credible pathway for girls and women to progress, while building the standards, culture and infrastructure needed to compete at the highest level.”
“We want young girls in Stockport to believe that they can reach the top of the game without leaving their community. That’s how you build something powerful, sustainable and truly representative of the people it serves.”
This comes following another major announcement with the news of the next phase of the infrastructural development, with the wider football club set to take control of Stockport Sports Village (SSV) and turn it into the home not only of the youth academy, but County Women and grassroots club Stockport Town.
As for Stockport County Women, it was only last year that they were playing against Liverpool’s female senior first team at Edgeley Park, and with all the investment happening in and around the organisation, you can expect more dates like these in the near future.
Stockport County Ladies become Women from next season onwards.
SNL reveals full cast lineup of rising star comedians for new UK version
Emily Sergeant
The full cast lineup for the new UK version of Saturday Night Live has been announced.
The time has finally come… after the announcement was first made all the way back in April of last year, Sky has now revealed the 11 comedy players who will take to the stage as the inaugural cast of Saturday Night Live UK – which is the first-ever British incarnation of NBC’s legendary late-night comedy show over in the US.
The six-episode Sky Original series will kick off next month on 21 March, ending the wait for UK audiences to hear the iconic line: “Live from London, it’s Saturday Night!”
The SNL UK cast have been named as Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Ania Magliano, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep, Emma Sidi, and Paddy Young – while the cast of writers will be announced soon.
Over in the States, Saturday Night Live has been on air since 1975, making it one of the longest-running live shows on US television.
But for us Brits, it’s set to be something entirely new.
Broadcast live each week, this brand-new UK version is apparently tipped to bring the ‘high-wire, anything-can-happen energy’ that makes SNL a cultural force in America, but now reimagined through a distinctly British lens.
Each week, a new guest host will take the helm and aim to put their own distinctive stamp on the SNL formula, alongside a chart-topping musical guest.
Written, rehearsed, and performed in the week of each show, every episode will be staged in front of a live studio audience, just like the US version, and will feature an opening monologue, topical sketches, live music, and a UK take on SNL’s iconic news satire, Weekend Update.
SNL has revealed its full cast lineup of rising star comedians for the new UK version / Credit: Sky Originals
“The UK is absolutely packed with incredible comedy talent right now,” commented James Longman, who is the Lead Producer of SNL UK, “and this cast represents the freshest voices we have – they’re bold, exciting and of course, incredibly funny.
“The chemistry between them is something special, and we can’t wait to share this funny group of people with the world.”
Cast members come hail from all over the UK, with everywhere from Glasgow and Scarborough, to Buckinghamshire, Wolverhampton, and of course, London on the map.
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2022 
