Israel, Greece, Cyprus Name Upcoming Middle East Storms

Israel, Greece, and Cyprus have collaborated to select names for upcoming storms in the Middle East region for the next year. The meteorological services of the three countries, collectively known as the "Middle East Group," announced the list of potential storm names on Tuesday. This group was established by Greece with the aim of naming particularly severe weather systems.

In addition to naming storms, the forecasting centers in these nations hold weekly meetings to discuss regional meteorological developments and prepare for anticipated challenges. Storms that enter the region from other meteorological groups will retain their original names. The upcoming storms will be named alphabetically from the chosen list, which includes names like Eitan, Wassim, and Odysseus.

Storms began receiving names in Europe in 1995 as a joint effort to raise public awareness through media and social networks. The naming convention aids national emergency services in informing the public about extreme weather events and their potential impacts, thereby protecting lives and property. The meteorological services of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel also coordinate on updates and preparations for expected weather events.