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
Jürgen Klopp reveals the main reason he turned down the Manchester United job
Danny Jones
Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has revealed one of the main reasons he turned down the Manchester United job more than a decade ago.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund boss turned Merseyside hero spent nine years at Anfield, going on to win a Champions League, Premier League, and a collection of cups.
It’s also worth noting that this all came in the years following the departure of legendary Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but there could have been an alternate reality where Klopp carried on where ‘Fergie’ left off, as the now 58-year-old says the club spoke to him during that time.
With Sir Alex leaving in 2013 after the best part of 30 years, Klopp told Steven Bartlett on his most recent Diary of A CEO episode that “of course, they were interested.”
OUT NOW!
💥Jürgen Klopp on The Diary Of A CEO
Some of the topics we cover:
•His surprise at Liverpool’s £450m transfer window and why he didn’t get the same money
•He says a return to Liverpool is possible – but he couldn’t ask for just one year off
Admitting that the interest was mutual “at one point”, the prospect of joining Liverpool‘s historic rivals clearly appealed to him.
Noting that he was flourishing as an up-and-coming coach (aged 46 back then) in charge of an impressive Dortmund team – adding that even some of his then future players to be at Liverpool flew to watch them play in the Champions League – it’s clear he had plenty of suitors.
However, the retired German footballer turned ‘Gegenpressing’ tactician goes on to explain that despite United trying to poach him from the Bundesliga, it was “the wrong time, wrong moment for me.”
Crucially, he says that some aspects of the conversations between him and the club at the time proved to be a turn-off rather than an incentive, citing talk of ‘the biggest club in the world’ and supposedly “signing any player we want.”
In short, Klopp says that, crucially, it didn’t sound like it would have been his project, drawing parallels to the board wanting to bring back players like Paul Pogba, with arguably similar ‘mistakes’ being made with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo. In his eyes, looking backwards simply “never helps”.
You can see the clip in full here:
Had he not turned down the offer, do you think Klopp could have helped rebuild Man United?
According to Klopp, after negotiations seemed to revolve primarily around the kind of players they were going to bring in, he decided the opportunity wasn’t for him.
Nevertheless, it looked like things worked out for Merseyside’s biggest club, at least, as he went on to become one of the most successful managers in the Premier League, managing to break up the long period of dominance overseen by both Manchester United and, most recently, Man City.
As for the red half of Manchester, they at the very least had a good weekend as they finally ended their long wait for a win away against Liverpool.
In case you missed it, you can watch the highlights – including another big clutch goal from Harry Maguire – down below.
More than £2 million in compensation received by underpaid workers in the North West
Danny Jones
More than £2 million is said to have been dished out in compensation to workers in the North West alone, as the UK government is continuing to crack down on employers underpaying their staff.
Employees from nearly 500 different companies across the region have received the money they owed following a raft of fines in excess of £2.7 million.
Covering the likes of Greater Manchester and beyond, the companies responsible have been revealed by the government as part of the new Fair Work Agency (FWA), which is tasked with shoring up workers’ rights moving forward.
The FWA is part of Labour’s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and hopes not only to correctly reimburse those short-changed but also, with the clear threat of swift action, deter others from trying to do the same in the future.
Matthew Taylor CBE has been appointed Chair of the Fair Work Agency, a new body that will transform how employment rights are enforced across the UK.
How? By tackling exploitation, supporting businesses doing the right thing, and helping to build a fairer labour market. pic.twitter.com/duEeNlwDHr
— Department for Business and Trade (@biztradegovuk) October 14, 2025
Released publicly last Friday, 17 October, 80 companies that failed to properly pay approximately 19,000 workers in and around the North West have now been repaid by their employers.
Perhaps most concerningly is that the fines sweep across multiple sectors and sizes, from local independents and SME to well-known high street brands.
From April 2026 onwards, the updated Employment Rights Bill (which also includes the FWA) grants more powers to tackle employers underpaying workers and failing to fulfil both holiday and sick pay.
This announcement also comes after the National Minimum Wage rate was increased earlier this year, with millions getting a pay rise and those working full-time on the National Living Wage seeing their families supported by an extra £1,400 per year.
Under the ‘Make Work Pay’ initiative set out by the Labour Party, more than 15 million Brits are expected to benefit from the new measures.
Overall, roughly £6 million has been put back into the pockets of underpaid workers up and down the country following these fines, which are said to have totalled roughly £10.2m. The full list of companies in question can be seen HERE.
Speaking on the news, Employment Rights Minister Kate Dearden said: “This government is taking direct action to ensure workers get every penny they’ve earned, and to put an end to bad businesses undercutting good ones.
“We’re proud to have delivered a strong minimum wage, and enforcing it thoroughly is crucial in our mission to put pounds back in your pocket. I know this news will be welcomed by brilliant businesses across the country, those who know that happy, well-paid staff are at the heart of building a successful company.
“With our new Fair Work Agency and the coming Employment Rights Bill, this government is keeping our promise to Britain to make work pay again.”
If you fear you might be suffering from underpayment by your employer, you can check that your wages are correct online; alternatively, you can call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100 or contact their website for more information right HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2022 
