The public is being asked to decide whether Shaun or Timmy from Shaun the Sheep should be included on the UK’s storm names list for the 2026/27 season.
The Met Office has launched the vote in collaboration with Aardman, the animation studio behind the characters.
Voting opened on the Met Office’s X, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube community channels at 11am today, Wednesday 19 August, and will close at 11am on Friday 21 August.
People can vote for either Shaun or Timmy, with the winning character’s name due to be announced on Friday. It will then appear on the full 2026/27 storm names list, which is scheduled to be published on Tuesday 1 September.
The Met Office names storms that are expected to cause significant disruption. The system is intended to make severe weather easier for the public to identify, remember and discuss, while drawing attention to weather warnings and safety advice.
The annual list is developed jointly by the Met Office, Met Éireann, Ireland’s national weather service, and KNMI, the Dutch national weather service.
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 an 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.
“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.”
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.”
The collaboration forms part of Aardman’s 50th anniversary activities and comes before the UK cinema release of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom on 18 September.
How to vote:
- Voting opens on the Met Office’s: X, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube community channels at 11:00 am on Wednesday 19 August 2026
- Voting closes at 11:00 am on Friday 21 August 2026
- Members of the public can vote for either Shaun or Timmy
- The vote relates specifically to which Aardman character will be added to this year’s storm names list
- The result of the public vote will be announced on Friday 21 August and included in the 2026/27 storm names list
