Storm Austen and not Adam: this is how storms get their name

Belgium prepares for storm Austen, the first autumn storm of the year, with strong winds and rain. The naming of storms is done by meteorological services from several European countries, including Belgium, which started a naming system in 2018. Each country has an alphabetical list of alternating male and female names. The name of a storm is determined by the group that first issues an orange warning. In this case, the storm was named Austen by the group including Ireland and the UK, after the first director of the Irish meteorological institute. Naming storms helps improve communication and public awareness. The next storm, expected in northern UK, will be named Boelo, while if Belgium names a storm, it will be Bruna.