After 10,000 suggestions, the new list of names for the 2021/22 storm season has been chosen by the Met Office and include names from a self-confessed weather watcher, a “quick-as-lightning” goalkeeper, and a daughter who “leaves a trail of destruction”.
The names will be given to the strongest weather systems to hit the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands over the coming year – with the first storm running from September 2021 to the end of August 2022.
This first storm will be called Arwen, a Welsh name popularised by a character from the Lord Of The Rings Books.
The names were drawn from more than 10,000 suggestions submitted to the Met Office for the strongest weather systems to hit the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands over the coming year.
A stormy night in Manchester // Facebook
Kim, Logan, Ruby and Dudley are also on the list selected by the Met Office, along with Met Eireann and Dutch national weather forecasting service the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI).
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A Met Office spokesman said Kim was nominated in recognition of a “whirlwind” relative and a self-confessed weather watcher, while Logan was nominated by several parents and grandparents, with one particular Logan being described as a “tornado”.
Ruby, on the other hand, is the name of a cat who “acts like a violent storm” when she enters the house.
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Dudley turned out to be the most popular name nominated beginning with D thanks to a Twitter poll by a couple who get married in 2022 and will share the surname Dudley.
Other names on the list – which does not use names beginning with Q, U, X, Y or Z – include Barra, Corrie, Eunice, Franklin, Gladys, Herman, Imani, Jack, Meabh, Nasim, Olwen, Pol, Sean, Tineke, Vergil and Willemien.
The first day of meteorological #autumn will begin in a similar vein to how #summer ended 🍂
Most of us will wake up on #Wednesday morning to grey skies. It will also be damp in places with some drizzly showers 🌧️
Since Name our Storms first launched in 2015, the Met Office has issued a new list of names each September. The list runs from early September to late August the following year. This coincides with the start of autumn when the likelihood of low pressure systems and the potential for named storms increase.
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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.
Will Lang, head of the National Severe Weather Warning Service at the Met Office, said: “We’re all aware of some of the severe weather that has been witnessed across Europe and globally in recent months and we work to use any tool at our disposal to ensure the public is informed of potential risks, and naming storms is just one way we do that.”
The autumn/winter storm names have been announced by the Met Office.
Names have been suggested by the public with some reasons behind them. Logan for example ‘runs through the house like a tornado’ according to his grandparents 🌪.https://t.co/BlIE3fqcaapic.twitter.com/iKrKosQKGd
The 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
In yet more huge sporting news for Greater Manchester, the 2027 World Climbing Series is coming to 0161 later this year.
We’ve had plenty of big peaks of late, but things seem to just keep going up and up.
Set to host the global event for the first time in our history, Manchester will welcome the World Climbing Series (WCS), which is set to include both Olympic and Paralympic disciplines ahead of the next Summer Games in 2028.
2027 will mark the 38th edition of the series, which will also be one of only a handful to be held in the North – it’s just down to our city to make it the best.
Officially announced on Friday, 16 January, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) confirmed the return to the UK.
Founded back in 1989, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is coming up on four decades since the competition first began – Leeds being chosen as the inaugural hosts – the event has come a long way since then.
The IFSC’s rebranding of the annual bouldering, lead and speed trials to the modern WSC, which began last year, was initially revealed back in 2023.
Welcoming continental talent right down to the youth level, the upcoming 2026 World Climbing Series is taking place in the summer and will be hosted by the city of Innsbruck in Austria.
As for the WSC’s Manchester debut, which is being organised in collaboration with the City Council, Manchester Accommodation BID, MCR Active and the National Lottery via UK Sport investment.
It’s not the only big sporting celebration that the Council will be supporting in 2027.
Paul Ratcliffe, CEO of the British Mountaineering Council, said in an official statement: “It’s exciting to be able to confirm that a World Series climbing event will return to the UK in 2027 as part of the BMC’s major event programme.
“Hosting a competition of this scale in Manchester is a strong statement about the UK’s place on the international climbing stage and a great opportunity for our athletes, fans, the climbing community and the wider public to experience the sport at the very highest level.
“Our ‘Route to Adventure’ strategy sets out how we will build on moments like this to support people into climbing and help them progress, whatever their starting point. Using major events to inspire participation, strengthen pathways and reinforce our commitment to inclusion is central to our long-term approach.”
Scheduled to take place in June, you can find out more information about the 2027 World Climbing Series in Manchester by signing up for the official event mailing list HERE.
The Tour de France is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s official: both the male and female Tour de France are coming to Greater Manchester and nine other destinations across the UK in 2027.
As one of the biggest locations on the list, it’s another big sporting landmark for us Mancs.
Confirmed on Thursday, 15 January, the men’s race and the Tour de France Femmes (TdFF) will be passing through our region next summer.
Revealing the news in an exciting announcement video on social media, you can see the other cities and towns that the world-famous endurance event will be hitting here:
With Greater Manchester boasting not only the National Cycling Centre, but having already hosted the Tour of Britain – which has passed through Altrincham on multiple ocassions – we’re well-versed when it comes to the sport.
It’s been more than a decade since the Tour de France last took place in the UK, with London and Yorkshire hosting three stages of the biggest date on the annual cycling calendar back in 2014.
Fast forward a dozen years, and not only will they both be participating again, but Great Britain will see dual Grand Départs for men and women for the very first time.
Not only are we buzzing that the racing will be returning to our friends in Leeds and Sheffield, but also nice to see other Northern regions lending their roads and stunning landscapes, such as the Lake District and wider parts of Cumbria.
You can see the full route map broken down below.
🇬🇧 Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, London 🇬🇧
💛 Grand Départ Great Britain 2027: in the footsteps of the pioneers!
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) January 15, 2026
Speaking in an official press release, race director Christian Prudhomme said: “The UK has always welcomed the Tour with passion and pride, and the route details we are revealing today reflect the beauty and diversity of Britain’s terrain.”
“Bringing both Grand Départs here is a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK.”
TdFF counterpart, Marion Rousse, added: “The UK has played an important role in the history of women’s cycling, with champions such as Lizzie Deignan.
“Starting the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Leeds is a strong choice, closely linked to this heritage and to the enthusiasm of a public that knows and loves the Tour. These stages clearly reflect the race’s ambition: to continue growing women’s cycling and to inspire future generations.”
The Manc -
1st September 2021 
