Met Office Vote Lets Public Choose Shaun the Sheep Storm Name

The United Kingdom's national weather service is inviting the public to help choose a future storm name in a collaboration with animation studio Aardman. The Met Office has launched a vote to decide whether the character Shaun the Sheep or his cousin Timmy will be added to the official list of storm names for the upcoming 2026-27 season. The vote opened on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, and will run on the Met Office's social media channels until Friday, August 21. The winning name is scheduled to be announced on September 1.

The partnership aims to engage new audiences with severe weather information. "Naming storms helps our weather warnings reach more people and encourages the public to take notice when severe weather is approaching," said Holly Clements, the Met Office's head of warnings and guidance. "This collaboration with Aardman gives us a fantastic opportunity to engage new audiences and explain why storm naming matters, helping people understand the risks severe weather can bring and the actions they can take to stay safe."

Despite the public vote, the chosen name may not necessarily be used. Storms are named alphabetically each season, and the furthest the Met Office...