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Spain's new storm season begins with 21 names ready for the next big weather events
AEMET has released the names that could soon become familiar to residents across Spain as the new storm season gets underway
Spain’s new storm season officially got underway on Tuesday September 1, with the country’s weather agency revealing the 21 names that could be used for major storms and DANAs over the coming months.
The list has been drawn up by the meteorological services of six countries belonging to the Southwest European Group, with Spain working alongside France, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg and Andorra to agree which names will be used.
The names for the 2026-27 season are Adam, Bruna, Charles, Diane, Eric, Flora, Gabriel, Heloise, Igor, Julia, Kevin, Lola, Michel, Nathalie, Oscar, Paola, Rafael, Sandra, Thomas, Vera and Walter.
They alternate between male and female names and have been selected with the different languages spoken across the six countries in mind. Some letters, including Q and U, are left out because suitable names that work across the different languages are difficult to find.
France was responsible for drawing up the proposed list this year as part of a rotating arrangement between the meteorological services involved.
It’s worth pointing out that not every storm or DANA that affects Spain will automatically receive one of these names. AEMET, the Spanish State Meteorological Agency, explained that names are reserved for weather systems expected to have a significant impact and which are likely to require widespread warnings for the public.
One of the criteria is an orange or red warning for very strong winds. Another applies when orange or red warnings for heavy rain or snow are combined with a yellow wind warning.
For DANAs, the second requirement is slightly different, as a wind warning isn’t needed for the system to qualify for a name.
AEMET explained that giving major weather systems names makes it easier for authorities and the public to communicate about potentially dangerous conditions, particularly when storms bring strong winds, rough seas, heavy rain or snow. It also makes individual events easier to identify in weather reports and in studies published by the agency.
The system has been running since 2017, with AEMET participating alongside its counterparts in France, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg and Andorra as part of the wider European EUMETNET network.
DANAs are a more recent addition to the naming system. AEMET began assigning names to these isolated high-altitude depressions in 2025, following the same general approach used for major storms.
A storm in this context is a low-pressure system that develops in the mid-latitudes and, in the Northern Hemisphere, produces winds rotating anti-clockwise. A DANA, meanwhile, is an isolated area of low pressure at high altitude which can lead to extremely heavy or torrential rainfall.
The decision to name these weather systems has become particularly relevant in Spain, where episodes of intense rain and severe storms can cause flooding, travel disruption and damage to homes and infrastructure.
Last season showed just how busy the naming system can become. By the end of March 2026, meteorologists had already used 19 of the 21 names on the list, the highest number recorded since the system was introduced in 2017.
The previous record was 17 names, meaning last season had already surpassed the previous high with around five months of the season still remaining.
Only Vítor and Wilma were left unused from the original list at that point. With the possibility that more major weather systems could develop, the Southwest European Group agreed for the first time to prepare a reserve list containing five additional names.
That experience highlights why the 21 names announced for the new season may not necessarily be enough if Spain and neighbouring countries face another exceptionally active period of severe weather.
For now, though, Adam is first in line. If a storm meets the criteria for naming, that will be the name used before meteorologists move through the list in order.
Images: Archive / AEMET
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