Meteorologists in the UK and Ireland and linking up to launch a competition inviting the public to name our storms.

Forecasters have decided to give storm fronts people's names, as they already do in other countries.

This week scientists in the US have been tracking tropical storm Grace and hurricane Linda.

Experts here hope adopting a similar system will encourage us to take severe weather more seriously, thus improving public safety.

Storms moving in from the Atlantic often make landfall on our shores first, giving us the authority to name them.

Derrick Ryall, Head of the Public Weather Service in the UK says: "In recent years the naming of wind storms that affected Ireland and the United Kingdom (such as the 'St Jude's Day' storm) has highlighted the benefits of establishing a formal system for the naming of mid-latitude storms."

Met Éireann and the Met Office will be naming severe storms through this autumn and winter. 

Gerald Fleming, Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann, added: "When severe weather threatens, National Met Services have the significant challenge - above and beyond the technical forecasting challenge - of bringing coherent and consistent messages to the public, to enable effective action in response."

He maintains putting names on storms will help the public immediately respond to weather threats.

Damage caused by winter storm at Lahinch pier, Co. Clare, in 2014. Photo: RollingNews.ie

Get your suggestions in

Names can be tweeted to Met Éireann using the hashtag #nameourstorms.

You can also send in your suggestions via Facebook or by email.

Names proposed by the Irish group and the British group will be collated to form one list.

Storm names will then be taken from this list, in alphabetical order, as fronts occur.

Meteorologists will alternate between male and female names for storms.

Storms will be named when they are deemed to be of medium or high potential, or if a yellow, amber or red warning for wind has been issued by Met Éireann.

Popular suggestions this morning among the Newstalk.com Breakfast show presenters were the most unpronounceable Irish names possible.

Britain's Met Office website has all the details.