Storm Babet is the latest in a long line of storms that have battered the UK over the past few years. Many may have noticed that such storms always have specific names to identify them.
Well, the naming system in the UK isn't simply random and actually is an important practice for meteorologists that spans decades.
Storms began receiving names in the 1950s so that people could engage with weather forecasts much more easily. It also made it easier for forecasters to talk about storms and discuss their progress across different media channels. Read more: Storm Babet: How long it will last and when it will hit Read more: Storm Babet: Latest Greater Manchester forecast as parts of UK to be 'cut off for days' amid red weather warning While the practice was seen in America for more than 70 years, it was only in 2015 when the Met Office in the UK and Ireland adopted a similar model.
Generally, they draw a list of names from a shortlist that is created by members of the public, and even more recently from the Netherlands' national weather service.