Met Éireann honours two trailblazing Evelyns as 2026-27 storm names are set
Two Irish meteorologists who helped open doors for women in forecasting will have their names carried into the next storm season. Met Éireann has included
Two Irish meteorologists who helped open doors for women in forecasting will have their names carried into the next storm season. Met Éireann has included Evelyn among the storm names for 2026-27, a nod to Evelyn Murphy and Evelyn Cusack, who each left a mark on Irish weather reporting.
The new list takes effect on Tuesday and runs for a calendar year. Storm Evelyn sits fifth on the roster. Quiet symbolism. But a strong one.
Two women, one name, a long legacy
Evelyn Murphy was the first woman to work as a meteorologist at Met Éireann and the first female meteorologist to present the forecast on RTÉ television, doing so in 1983. She later headed the marine unit and helped create the Irish Marine Data Buoy Observation Network, strengthening Ireland’s ability to track sea conditions and weather data.
Evelyn Cusack followed a different path to the same prominence. She became the first female head of forecasting at Met Éireann and spent decades as one of the best-known weather voices on RTÉ radio and television. During major weather events, her forecasts were a familiar part of the national routine.
Cusack retired in 2023 after 42 years with Met Éireann. Her name now joins Murphy’s in the storm list, a rare double honour for two pioneers with the same first name.
Storm names with wider reach
Storm naming has become a standard part of weather communication across Europe, helping the public follow fast-moving systems more easily. The Irish list for the coming season also includes Austen, Boelo, Chloe, Dano, Finn and others, with Evelyn placed near the start of the sequence.
For forecasters, the names are practical. For the public, they help make warnings stick. And when a storm carries a familiar name, it can draw extra attention to the people behind the forecast itself.
That is especially true here. The inclusion of Evelyn does more than fill a slot in a seasonal list. It points back to the women who helped build modern forecasting in Ireland, one broadcast and one data network at a time.
Met Éireann has not said which system will be the first to take the new names, but the storm season begins Tuesday and will run for the next 12 months. When Evelyn arrives, it will carry two legacies with it.
