Why hasn’t the UK had any named storms yet?
The UK has yet to record its first named storm this season because high pressure has steered the strongest Atlantic low-pressure systems away. The jet stream, which usually guides unsettled weather towards the country in autumn, has often been positioned north or north-west of the UK, contributing to warmer conditions and dry weather across much of England and Wales.
Rain has been heavier in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while parts of Herefordshire have received only a tenth of their usual rainfall by mid-October and severe drought has been declared in some southern areas. The Met Office expects a shift towards wetter, windier conditions, with its October-to-December outlook giving twice the normal chance of wetter weather and 1.3 times the normal chance of windier weather. Storms are named when damaging winds, flooding rain or disruptive snow are expected; the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands have named storms together since 2015.
- High pressure has kept named storms away from the UK so far.
- Severe drought has affected parts of southern England.
- Forecasts point to a wetter, windier late autumn and early winter.