Storm naming - should the Met Office have named yesterday's low?

[asjmcguire]

22 minutes ago, sunnijim said:

Then in the publics eye ( not the weather obsessed here) every situation over the last few days could be attributed to the named storm.

We don't then get 'that Angus, did nothing really did it' from Joe public.

That does make a lot of sense - but as shown in Jo's blog - as Angus has long left the UK - and the BBC and whoever else will no doubt have pointed this on many video forecasts - it will leave the public incredibly confused when the BBC and others are saying Angus has cleared the UK - and Sky News and The Scotsman are claiming that the current weather system that arguably was much worse than Angus - is in fact Angus.

I'm confused myself - when I see articles like this one - posted at 5pm TODAY on The Scotsman - which suggests both that all the wind and rain is because of Angus - and then worse - suggests that more is to come?! What?! This is being retweeted and re-shared across Facebook as i type......

.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Andrew Simon Jones
Credit: Scotsman

[Jo Farrow]

9 minutes ago, sunnijim said:

A yes for sure.

I think the impacts from the secondary system were greater than that of Angus anyway.

I can see why Angus was given a name, there was real 'potential' there for wind damage had the system tracked further North.

What we ended up with from Angus were 60mph gusts on channel coasts and a soaking for some.

There seems to be a need for an honest look at the impacts of Angus, high gusts have been listed ' 80mph on the South East coast' ( one gust in a bay off the Kent coast does not represent the real picture) The warning of potential 70mph-80mph gusts just did not happen on mainland England.

I was left wondering if the higher impacts of wind and rainfall from the secondary system were being attributed to Angus due to the lack of real impact from Angus?

Then in the publics eye ( not the weather obsessed here) every situation over the last few days could be attributed to the named storm.

We don't then get 'that Angus, did nothing really did it' from Joe public.

 

 

oooh very cynical, like a conspiracy therory 

[doctor32]

hi, i think with these two systems been very close to each (over 48 hr period) and the degree of uncertanty of path and therefor impacts at a short forcasting timeframe the oppertunity to name both storms in advance was very hard to do so, for the public to differentiate between the two.

I do think it should have been named, as the rain was torrential where i live, very gusty winds with tree branches flying across the roads. real driving rain with plenty flooded roads... even had hail mixed in. 

I also think that the impact part of the warnings are very 'southern' based... and the same impacts further north don't get anywhere near as much attention... yes i know the south 'london' is very highly populated and therefor more risk. But places further north also have many highly populated areas and the impacts can be just the same.

Edited November 22, 2016 by doctor32

[Essan]

In the future, people will remember this as one period of bad weather.   Some were affected on Sunday, some on Monday.    Most people will be unaware even at the time that two seperate cyclonic systems were responsible.

So why not just use Angus for the period of stormy weather with gales, heavy rain and floods that occurred over the period 20-22 Nov?  

I dont see how using 2 names would help in any way at all?

[Mark wheeler]

Maybe a surname to Angus like Frazer or Deayton.

[shuggee]

I'm a no.  No way would Angus's daughter be called Barbara.

[Mark Neal.]

2 seperate systems as far as i am concerned, should be under two different names! 

[Paul]

13 hours ago, Essan said:

In the future, people will remember this as one period of bad weather.   Some were affected on Sunday, some on Monday.    Most people will be unaware even at the time that two seperate cyclonic systems were responsible.

So why not just use Angus for the period of stormy weather with gales, heavy rain and floods that occurred over the period 20-22 Nov?  

I dont see how using 2 names would help in any way at all?

Tis a fair point, but I suppose my answer to that is, why are they bothering to name storms at all, if it's not to separate them out and make people more aware of different systems, different timings and different effects from those systems? 

[Lauren]

Was it considered to be part of the same system as Angus or so close to Angus that it didn't require a name as the weather alerts were still in place?

 

EDIT: Ignore me, this has already been answered. Teach me for not reading the whole thread....

Edited November 23, 2016 by Lauren

[Essan]

3 hours ago, Paul said:

Tis a fair point, but I suppose my answer to that is, why are they bothering to name storms at all, if it's not to separate them out and make people more aware of different systems, different timings and different effects from those systems? 

The next problem will be if (when?) we have a period of several days of heavy, disruptive, snow that isn't actually associated with any specific cyclonic system.   Maybe an easterly bringing a week of 'lake effect' snow?    Or just a wavering front stuck across the west of the country running back and forth into cold air?  

Of course, some of us would just call it wintry weather  

[Essan]

And meantime we shouldn't forget the poor old Irish who had no strong winds and barely any rain from Angus or whatever it was that followed!

[Nick L]

I don't really care either way, but the problem with this storm naming malarkey is that it's so inconsistent.

[Methuselah]

5 minutes ago, Nick L said:

I don't really care either way, but the problem with this storm naming malarkey is that it's so inconsistent.

Or, if you are a curmudgeon like me, it's simple malarkey?

[Essan]

44 minutes ago, Nick L said:

I don't really care either way, but the problem with this storm naming malarkey is that it's so inconsistent.

I agree

But to be fair to the MetO and Met Eireann, they are trying out a system on an experimental basisi to see if it works, and teaking it as they go along (hence the decision this year to include rain and snow events in addition to wind storms - how this will work in practice remains to be seen)

I suppose they could have tried it out in private before going public. but what are the odds on the media getting wind of it and misrepresenting it anyway?   And how the media (and public) react is, I supose, part of the trial

[Jo Farrow]

On 11/23/2016 at 20:33, Essan said:

I agree

But to be fair to the MetO and Met Eireann, they are trying out a system on an experimental basisi to see if it works, and teaking it as they go along (hence the decision this year to include rain and snow events in addition to wind storms - how this will work in practice remains to be seen)

I suppose they could have tried it out in private before going public. but what are the odds on the media getting wind of it and misrepresenting it anyway?   And how the media (and public) react is, I supose, part of the trial

 

It is still a trial but the feedback from the media has to be real and not just one meeting with promise of further discussions that never happen. Making the message work (whatever that is in the end) needs co-operation and listening between lots of groups. I think a lot of weather presenters like the storm name idea, but trying to handle it, so far, has been like holding jelly without a bowl. Weird analogy I know,

 

[Windblade]

Sorry to chime in on an old thread but I thought I'd just share thoughts on the recent naming of low pressure systems. To be honest we've always had gales and the like in our winters - nothing has changed in that regard and unless the winds reach hurricane/tropical cyclone force I think naming them is overkill and seems to have been done for sensationalist headlines and nothing more. During the winter it is not unheard of for the uk to get one or more low pressure systems a week, so its nothing out of the ordinary. People must be warned of course, but this could (and has for years) be done without naming them to create media panic and make them seem worse than they are. As I said before though, if we're talking hurricane strengh that's different, but these "storms" are just our usual winter gales/low pressure systems as far as I can see.

Edited December 27, 2016 by Windblade

[lassie23]

On 23/11/2016 at 19:44, Nick L said:

I don't really care either way, but the problem with this storm naming malarkey is that it's so inconsistent.

Properly warning people about the dangers of the approaching storm should is what's imortant, giving them names doesn't seem to make people take anymore notice, leave the names for hurricanes etc.

[Snowyowl9]

yes YES yes.

3 so far.

The second was the wildest up north.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Snowyowl9

[The PIT]

Interesting todays system hasn't been named winds up 93mph in the peak district probably more since I've read that. Certainly an impact. 

[Weather-history]

20 minutes ago, The PIT said:

Interesting todays system hasn't been named winds up 93mph in the peak district probably more since I've read that. Certainly an impact. 

Certainly, one of the windiest spells this season and there hasn't been that many. Infact, it felt like it was the strongest gale of the season for this area.

 

[I remember Atlantic 252]

22 minutes ago, The PIT said:

Interesting todays system hasn't been named winds up 93mph in the peak district probably more since I've read that. Certainly an impact. 

worst 'storm' of the season for my location today! 2nd worst was 21st Nov! both unnamed

[I remember Atlantic 252]

How this is not a named storm is unbelievable! what does it have to be like for named storm? tidal flooding not qualify? Wednesday just gone gales not qualify?

what about this coming Sun/Mon deluge? not qualify either?

[Spikecollie]

Even the severe storm last night in northern France and beyond was only nicknamed "Egon". No official name and although the warnings were adequate, they didn't underline the eventual strength of the storm. I think naming is useful to make people more aware of impending events, but it can also either cause unnecessary anxiety or eventually make people complacent when a given storm is less potent than forecast...

[Weather-history]

I think the storm naming has gone tits up, IMO. The 11th January low wasn't named and I don't know why and now the tabloid media have taken on themselves to name the system coming through tonight as Doris.

There were questionable naming of storms last winter.

[Nick L]

The inconsistencies of the storm namings are laughable.