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A Fresh Breeze with a New Name

Meteorologists at Freie Universität Start New Naming Process for Weather Highs and Lows on September 16, 2016

№ 270/2015 from Sep 14, 2015

On September 16 at 00:00, the meteorologists at Freie Universität Berlin will launch the Adopt-a-Vortex naming campaign for 2016 at http://www.met.fu-berlin.de/adopt-a-vortex/. In 2016 the high pressure systems will be given male names and the low pressure systems female names. The base prices remain unchanged at 299 euros for highs and 199 euros for lows. An additional 19 percent is charged for sales tax (VAT). The proceeds are used to continue the weather observations made by students at the international reporting weather station in Berlin-Dahlem.

The meteorologists at the Berliner Wetterkarte e. V. at the Institute of Meteorology at Freie Universität Berlin have been naming high and low pressure areas for more than 60 years. Since 2002 the naming process has been open to anyone. It is a way of continuing the weather observations in Berlin-Dahlem, so that the climate series, which has already been carried out for more than 100 years and is one of the longest in the world, can be continued. Numerous sponsors and supporters have helped to make this happen.

A sponsorship is a popular and somewhat unique present for Christmas, birthdays, or other special occasions. Some use it as an opportunity to draw attention to their interesting, but not widely known, first name. While the highs Annelie, Dietlinde, and Finchen brought record-high temperatures to Europe this summer, including for example, 40.3°C to Germany, the lows such as Felix or Zoran brought more than just "fresh breezes" with them. During the low Niklas, there was even snow at Easter.

Many media utilize the names in their weather reports. Anka and Albert were the first names of pressure zones to be printed in Berlin newspapers on November 1, 1954. The students and staff of the Institute of Meteorology hope that this will continue in the future because active public participation and use of the names by media are necessary to ensure the continued funding and continuation of the weather observations in the coming years. Up to now almost 2,500 people from 15 European countries as well as from Brazil, Japan, the USA, and South Africa were welcomed as weather sponsors.

Further Information

  • D. Schoster, S. Wölk, N. Bublitz, Institute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, Tel.: +49 30 838-71226 or +49 30 838-71225, Email: wetterpate@met.fu-berlin.de
  • Petra Grasse, Thomas Dümmel, Institute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, Tel.: +49 30 838-71222 or  -+49 30 838-71200

Link to the Homepage

www.met.fu-berlin.de/adopt-a-vortex/