"nor'easter" is also the name for the special foul- weather gear
and on the the other side of the pond this is known as a "sou'wester".

US'ns call the storm a nor'easter because the winds (not the storm) come out of the northeast. This is because the storms track up the coast and we, being on the western edge, get the first winds from the notheast.

Do the UK'ns call the storm as well as the storm gear a sou'wester? And if so, is it because you are on the eastern edge of the storm?