The Met Office has forecast a storm that will bring snow, rain and strong winds to parts of the UK this weekend.

Storm Bert is the second named storm of the 2024/25 season to impact the UK, following Storm Ashley in late October.

Wind gusts of up to 70mph are expected in some areas, the Met Office added.

Heavy snowfall could bring further disruption to parts of the country while heavy rain is also likely, especially in western parts, Sky News reports.

In a post on their X (formerly known as Twitter) account, the Met Office said: "#StormBert has been named and is forecast to bring heavy rain, strong winds and disruptive snow to parts of the UK through the weekend #WeatherAware".

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said: "Storm Bert marks a shift to much milder air and wintry hazards will gradually diminish through the weekend, but heavy snowfall is expected across parts of northern England and Scotland for a time on Saturday, especially over higher ground, and warnings are in place."

How are UK storm names decided?

Storms as a whole are named so people can more easily engage with weather forecasts, with the practice being established in the 1950s.

In 2015, following the success of the US model, the UK Met Office and Irish service Met Éireann launched their first "Name our Storms" campaign, BBC News reports.

Most years, they draw the names from a shortlist of favourites submitted by the public.

Additionally, they have been joined by the National Weather Service of the Netherlands who contribute a few names each year.

An almost full alphabet of names is put forward each year, except for ones beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z.

The storm names for the 2024/25 season are:

  • Ashley
  • Bert
  • Conall
  • Darragh
  • Eowyn
  • Floris
  • Gerben
  • Hugo
  • Izzy
  • James

Recommended reading:

  • Kayleigh
  • Lewis
  • Mavis
  • Naoise
  • Otje
  • Poppy
  • Rafi
  • Sayuri
  • Tilly
  • Vivienne 
  • Wren

Only around six to seven storms impact the UK during a season, so there are many names that won't be used for it.