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
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2022 
