The Met Office has opened a public vote in collaboration with Aardman, the creators of Shaun the Sheep, to allow members of the public to choose which character a storm will be named after in the official storm names list for the 2026/27 storm season.
How the vote works
The public vote, hosted on Met Office social media channels between August 19 and 21, will ask people to decide between Shaun and Timmy. The chosen name will be included in this year's list, which will be announced on September 1.
Voting opened on the Met Office's social media channels at 11am on Wednesday (August 19) across X, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube community channels. Members of the public have two days to vote until the deadline on Friday (August 21). The result will be announced on Friday 21 August and included in the 2026/27 storm names list.
Why storm naming matters
According to the Met Office, naming storms provides a consistent message and aids the communication of approaching severe weather through media partners and other government agencies. By doing so, the public will be better placed to keep themselves, their property and businesses safe.
In the UK, a storm gets a name when it has the potential to cause disruption or damage which could result in an amber or red warning. The Met Office issues severe alerts when the weather is likely to cause significant impacts on the public such as risk to life or disruption to public transport.
Collaboration with Aardman
This Shaun the Sheep collaboration forms part of Aardman's 50th anniversary celebrations and comes ahead of the release of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, which arrives in UK cinemas on September 18.
Met Office Head of Warnings and Guidance, Holly Clements, said: "Naming storms helps our weather warnings reach more people and encourages the public to take notice when severe weather is approaching. This collaboration with Aardman gives us a fantastic opportunity to engage new audiences and explain why storm naming matters, helping people understand the risks severe weather can bring and the actions they can take to stay safe."
She added: "We're delighted to be inviting the public to have their say. Whether you're Team Shaun or Team Timmy, we hope the vote encourages people to learn more about storm naming, weather warnings, and how to be prepared in times of severe weather."
The Met Office, along with their partners Met Éireann (Ireland’s national meteorological service) and KNMI (the Dutch national weather service), develop the annual storm names list each year, with this year’s public vote determining which of the two Shaun the Sheep character names will join the 2026/27 list.
Amy Pearson, Director of Brand Marketing and PR at Aardman, said: "It’s brilliant to be teaming up with the Met Office to give fans the chance to help choose a future storm name. Rain or shine, weather is a familiar part of life on Mossy Bottom Farm, making this a fun and meaningful way to connect Shaun and Timmy's world with an important public message. Whoever you’re backing, we hope the vote sparks some fun conversations about severe weather and how it can affect all of us."
