As Southern Norway mops up after this week’s big storm known as Urd, state meteorologists already have a name ready for the next one. It more than likely will be a man’s name beginning with the letter “V.”
“The meteorologic institute follows the practice of the naming committee of the world meteorologic organization, with every other storm a woman’s name or man’s name, in alphabetical order,” Stein Kristiansen of the state meteorologic institute told newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) this week. The last 10 extreme weather systems to hit Norway have been named, in order, Jorun, Kyrre, Lena, Mons, Nina, Ole, Petra, Roar, Synne and Tor.
That’s why the most recent storm was named Urd, the old Norse mythological name for one of the three female spirits who arrive when a person is born and determine their fate. That’s why the next storm will be a man’s name beginning with the letter V, like Viktor or Vegard perhaps. Kristiansen won’t reveal the name that’s already been chosen.
“It’s not only hurricanes that get names,” he told DN. “We also name storms when there’s extreme amounts of precipitation and high water levels.”
Names containing the Norwegian letters æ, ø and å are not used, though, nor are names beginning with the letters q, w, x or z. When a name beginning with Y is used, a new list is compiled beginning with A.
newsinenglish.no staff
