Weather in France can sometimes be unpredictable. Heavy rains, snow, ice patches, and strong winds are common occurrences... In the country, severe gusts of wind are not unusual. Following the impact of Storm Benjamin in October 2025, France is gearing up for a new storm named Goretti.
But why do some storms have names? And how does this naming system work? How do you choose a storm name? Météo France explains that the names given to storms enable us to " communicate more effectively when a violent wind phenomenon is approaching ". According to a survey, the population is " more attentive to safety instructions when the threat of strong winds is clearly identified as being linked to a named storm ", explains the weather service.
So Météo France joined forces with the meteorological services of four other European countries: AEMET for Spain, IPMA for Portugal, IRM for Belgium and METEOLUX for Luxembourg. Together, they are monitoring"stormy lows" likely to affect any of these five countries.
When a low-pressure system is likely to trigger at least orange-level wind vigilance over one of the countries concerned, a name is assigned to the storm. Specifically, the meteorological service " which plans to issue the first orange or red alert assigns a name " to this storm " from the pre-established list and informs the others ", explains Météo France on its website.
Yes, a list of storm names is published every year by these five weather services. Discover the storm names chosen by France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg for the coming season:
Note, however, that when a storm first hits Ireland, Great Britain or the Netherlands, the name chosen by these weather services is used. " And the reverse also applies ", says Météo France, adding that "an extension of this coordination to all European countries is planned ".
Official website
meteofrance.com
