A named storm is not just a windy day with a label on it. When forecasters put a name to a system — Arwen, Eunice, Ciarán — it means they expect real disruption: tiles off roofs, trees across roads, power cuts that can run for days. Most of the damage is avoidable if you spend an hour or two beforehand. This checklist works from the garden inwards, then covers the supplies you'll want if the lights go out.

Know your warning, and know the timing

Storms are named when forecasters expect them to cause enough disruption that a shared name will help people act. That is all the name means: a nudge to take it seriously. The Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI name from the same list, so a storm may already have made headlines in Ireland before it reaches you.

Check the forecast the day before and again on the morning. Yellow means be aware; amber means likely disruption to travel and power; red means danger to life and you should not travel. Pay attention to the timing, because many storms cross overnight, when you cannot see what is happening outside. Note the wind direction too. The side of the house that faces it takes the brunt, and anything loose there should be dealt with first.

Clear the garden: anything the wind can lift

Wind does not need to be extreme to move something that is not tied down. A trampoline will clear a fence with ease, and a full wheelie bin becomes a battering ram. Walk the garden and ask of each item: could this fly?

• Trampolines: turn upside down and weight them, or dismantle and store them.
• Garden furniture, parasols, cushions, paddling pools and play equipment.
• Bins and recycling boxes — bring them in, or weight the lids and move them against a wall.
• Plant pots, hanging baskets, bird feeders, garden ornaments and washing lines.
• Bikes, toys and anything leaning against a shed or fence.

Then check the structures that stay put: shed doors and greenhouse panes, fence panels that are already loose, and gates that could swing open. A few straps or a length of rope can save you a repair bill. If you park on the street, move the car away from trees and away from any wall or chimney that looks tired.

Gutters, drains and the roof

A storm brings rain as well as wind, and water is what finds its way inside. Clear leaves from gutters and downpipes while the weather is calm — a blocked gutter sends water down the wall and into the eaves. Check the gullies and drains outside your door and in any driveway, and clear the debris sitting on the grates. Do this before the rain starts, never during it.

What to look at from the ground

You do not need to get on a ladder in a rising wind. Stand back and look up: slipped tiles, loose flashing around a chimney, sagging aerial brackets, a satellite dish held by one screw. Book a roofer now if something is clearly wrong, and take a photo of what you can see. Inside, look at the loft for daylight or old water stains, and move anything stored under a suspect part of the roof into a dry corner.

If you live near a river, the coast or a known flood spot, check the flood warnings for your area from the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales or SEPA, and have sandbags or flood barriers ready before you need them.

Windows, doors and the outside of the house

Close and latch every window, including small top lights, loft windows and anything in a spare room you rarely open. Lock external doors and put the bolts on. Draw the curtains in rooms where you will be sitting; it will not stop glass breaking, but it keeps fragments off the floor you have to walk on.

Ignore the old advice about taping windows. It does not strengthen glass and it makes a bigger mess. Move valuables, laptops and anything electrical away from windows and up off the floor, and take photos of the rooms as they normally look for insurance purposes.

Prepare for a power cut

Assume the electricity will go off, even if it probably won't. Charge phones, tablets, laptops and any power banks the day before. Dig out torches and head torches and check the batteries — candles are a fire risk you do not need in the dark.

• Keep the fridge and freezer shut. A full freezer holds its temperature far better than a half-empty one, and every opening loses cold air. If food has been warm for hours, throw it out.
• Find your trip switch and your water stopcock now, so you are not hunting for them with a torch.
• Never run a generator, camping stove or barbecue indoors or in a garage. Carbon monoxide kills, and it has no smell.
• If someone in the house relies on mains-powered medical equipment, speak to their GP, supplier or local authority about a plan before the storm arrives.

In Great Britain you can call 105 to report a power cut or get information; keep that number and your supplier's emergency line written down, since your phone may be your only light.

Assemble a storm kit

Gather this in one place — a box in the hall, or a cupboard everyone knows about.

• Torches, spare batteries, a head torch and a battery or wind-up radio.
• Charged power banks and charging cables.
• Bottled water and food that needs no cooking, plus a manual can opener.
• A first aid kit and at least a few days of any prescription medicine.
• Blankets, sleeping bags, warm hats and waterproofs by the door.
• Cash in small notes, in case card machines are down.
• Pet food, nappies and anything else a household member cannot do without.

The last hour before the wind arrives

1. Bring in the last of the garden items and shut the shed, garage and gates.
2. Park away from trees, and off the road if you can, so you are not blocking access for crews.
3. Charge phones one final time and put the torches where you can find them in the dark.
4. Fill the kettle, a jug and a couple of bottles with water.
5. Check on any neighbour who lives alone, then stay inside. Do not go to the coast or the seafront to watch the waves; that is how people die in storms.

After the storm passes

Do not head out during a lull. Storms often arrive in bands, and a calm half hour can be followed by wind from the opposite direction. Wait until the warning has passed, then check on neighbours and look for damage before you start clearing up.

Treat any downed cable as live and report it — call 105, or 999 if someone is in danger. Photograph damage before you move anything, and ring your insurer as soon as you reasonably can, keeping receipts for emergency repairs. If water has got into sockets, lights or appliances, do not switch them on; get a qualified electrician to look first.

Photo: TheOtherKev / Pixabay