Israel and Partners Unveil Storm Names for 2026/2027 Season
The Israel Meteorological Service, alongside Greece and Cyprus, released the new storm-naming list for the South-Eastern Mediterranean Group for the 2026/2027 winter season, aimed at boosting public safety.
Weather systems do not stop at political borders, which is why a structured mechanism for naming storms in our region was established. The Israel Meteorological Service joined the broad European initiative of the EUMETNET organization, and in 2021 an official agreement was signed and entered into force between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus, establishing the South-Eastern Mediterranean Group.
Goals and Naming Mechanics
The overarching goal of the agreement is public protection and raising awareness among citizens and emergency services, based on the understanding that it is much easier to remember warnings about a storm with a first name than technical reports about a low-pressure system.
The agreement sets binding joint working rules. Once one country in the group identifies a weather system developing into a severe storm—according to criteria of destructive winds, exceptional precipitation with flood risks, or heavy snow in low-lying areas—it is the one that activates and assigns the next name in line from the list.
Annual List and Local Policies
Once a name is activated by one of the countries, the other two countries are obligated to use that exact same name in their reports to prevent public confusion. The names are determined in an annual synchronization meeting held toward autumn, and the list includes 26 names arranged in English alphabetical order, alternating between male and female names.
"In Israel, we do not publish the entire list in advance to the public, but rather update the storm's name only close to each actual event if there is one," clarified Dr. Amir Gevati, Director of the Israel Meteorological Service.
For the upcoming 2026/2027 season, the joint list features diverse names representing local cultures, including Hebrew and Arabic names such as Bar, Eitan, Hadar, Kedem, Tamar, and Wassim.
