How Storm Goretti got its name – and the other storms to expect this year

AS Jersey awaits the arrival of Storm Goretti, many are wondering what impact the severe weather will have on the Island… but others have drawn attention to the rather unusual name…

In Europe, each country belongs to a different regional storm naming group which creates a centralised list of storm names to use each year.

The UK belongs to the western storm naming group with Ireland and the Netherlands, and their list of storm names is complied based on entries made by the public. Over 50,000 entries were made for the 2025/2026 list.

The Met Office announced its storm names for 2025/2026 in October last year.

Names will be retired if they are associated with an event of particular destruction or loss of life, as was the case with Katrina and Sandy.

Storm Goretti, which is due to hit Jersey this week, was named by Meteo France. This occurs when the brunt of a storm is expected to be seen overseas and resulted in France naming Storm Benjamin in October 2025, and Spanish weather service AEMT naming Storm Claudia in November 2025.

A storm will receive a name when it is expected to have a “medium” or “high” impact. According to the Met Office, the primary factor in this impact is wind – but other factors like rain and snow will be taken into consideration.

Met Office chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “Naming storms isn’t just about giving them a label, it’s about making sure people take notice.

“When a storm has a name, it becomes easier for the media and public to talk about it, share information, and prepare.

“It’s a simple step that can make a big difference in helping communities stay safe, protect their homes, and make informed decisions ahead of severe weather.”

Since 2015, the Met Office has asked the British public for name suggestions.

Thousands of ideas are sent in throughout the year before a list is complied.

The list runs from early September until late August and includes one name for every letter of the alphabet, except for Q, U, Y, X and Z.

Letters further down the alphabet are far less likely to be used because there is not always that many storms before the end of the full season.

In the UK, the storm season starts on September 1, which also marks the beginning of the meteorological autumn, and runs until the end of August the following year.