Weather: Names of low and high pressure areas – how they come about

When a storm rages over Germany, the name of the low or high pressure area responsible for it is on everyone’s lips. Have you ever wondered where the names for lows and highs actually come from? The story behind them is quite interesting.

The names of high and low pressure areas – that’s where they come from

It all started in the 1940s when the US Weather Service began giving female first names to typhoons in the Pacific.

• In 1954, meteorology student Karla Wege had the idea of also giving names to the highs and lows in Germany. This idea was taken up by the Institute of Meteorology at the FU Berlin and since then the storms have also had a name in our country.

• There is, of course, a system behind the naming of the storms. Each year starts with the letter A and then the alphabet is worked through one by one as the year progresses. As soon as the letter Z has been assigned, the process continues again with the A.

• Originally, all lows were always given a female first name, while the highs always had a male first name. This discriminatory practice was stopped in 1997.

• Since 1998, in odd years, the highs are given female first names and the lows male. In even years, they are changed accordingly.

Sabine or Ciara? Why a storm low can also have two names

2020 the lows carried female names according to the rules. But: Is the storm low that kept Europe on tenterhooks at the beginning of February 2020 now called Sabine or Ciara? The answer: it has both names.

• In Germany Sabine, outside Ciara. The name giver in this country is Sabine Kaufmann, who bought the name here.

• Ciara, on the other hand, comes from the Met Office, the UK’s national meteorological service.

Become a weather sponsor: What highs and lows cost

In order to improve the finances of the Institute of Meteorology at the FU Berlin a little, at the beginning of the 21st century some students once again had a good idea: weather sponsorship.

• Since 2002, you have the opportunity to sponsor a storm by becoming a weather sponsor. This means you give a name to a high or a low, depending on what you feel like doing.

• When choosing a name, however, only civil registered first names are allowed and the Institute of Meteorology reserves the right to refuse a requested name.

• As a weather sponsor for a high pressure area you will have to dig a little deeper into your pocket: A high will cost you 299 Euros (with VAT then 355.81 Euros).

• You can get a low for as little as 199 euros (236.81 euros with VAT).

• Alternatively, you have the option of buying a name sponsorship at eBay or a so-called risk sponsorship at the Institute for Meteorology at the FU Berlin.