So as well as continuously monitoring weather patterns, the Met Office is prepared for future storms by already having names for them. They were chosen by the public after it was decided to follow the Americans by giving each severe storm a distinctive name. So since November last year, the country has endured Abigail, Barney, Clodagh, Desmond, Eva, Frank, Gertrude and Henry - and Imogen is currently assailing southern parts of the UK. Storms are named alternately boy/girl/boy/girl etc. Once the following list of names is exhausted, the process will start again, with this time a boy’s name being used for A and so on. Five letters are excluded - Q,U,X,Y and Z - because the Met Office feared it would soon run out of viable suggestions. Forthcoming storm names are - Jake, Katie, Lawrence, Mary, Nigel, Orla, Phil, Rhonda, Steve, Tegan, Vernon, Wendy