Odysseas, Hadar and Ypnos are among the names that will be given to major weather systems in Europe during the 2026-2027 season, according to Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY).
Since 2021, the National Meteorological Service has worked with the meteorological services of Cyprus and Israel through the Eastern Mediterranean Group to name weather systems expected to produce very severe conditions during both the cold and warm seasons.
The list for the period from October 2026 through September 2027 was jointly compiled by the three national meteorological services. The names are arranged alphabetically, reflect the languages of the participating countries and are written using Latin characters. “Argos, Bar, Chabrias, Dorothea, Eitan, Filippa, Glafkos, Hadar, Ikaros, Jason, Kedem, Laskarina , Morfeas , Nadia, Odysseas, Persefoni, Roxani, Sisyfos, Tamar, Uranos, Vergina, Wasim, Xanthe, Ypnos”
How weather systems are named
The practice of naming major weather systems began in Europe in 1995, when a group of weather forecasters from several national meteorological services established the system.
It was later incorporated into EUMETNET, the European network of national meteorological services, with the aim of creating common rules for communicating the arrival of severe weather.
Meteorological services were subsequently organized into groups based on shared geographic and meteorological characteristics, covering the whole of Europe.
As part of the Eastern Mediterranean Group, forecasters from Greece, Cyprus and Israel hold regular meetings to discuss available data and information on expected weather systems.
During these meetings, they assess systems that could affect the region and jointly decide whether a severe weather event should be given a name.
If a storm has already been named by another group, such as the Central Mediterranean Group, that name must be retained.
Why storms are given names
The naming system is designed to help communicate severe weather risks to the public through the media and social media.
It also makes it easier for national meteorological services to provide information about severe weather and its potential effects, helping improve the protection of lives and property.
The names selected for the 2026-2027 season reflect the linguistic traditions of Greece, Cyprus and Israel and will be used in alphabetical order.
