Category Archives: Environmental hazards

Double, double, toil and trouble

Posted on 19 September, 2016 by Stephen Burt

By Geoff Wadge Iceland has been forcing itself on our consciousness in recent years, culminating recently in the humiliation of the English football team. There may be another unpleasant surprise up Iceland’s sleeve. Since 2010 there have been three volcanic … Continue reading →

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UK drought monitoring and forecasting

Posted on 1 August, 2016 by Stephen Burt

By Laura Baker After what feels like a pretty wet start to the year, it may seem strange to be talking about drought (although admittedly the warm weather over the last couple of weeks should help!). But in spring 2012, … Continue reading →

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A month’s worth of rain …

Posted on 4 July, 2016 by Stephen Burt

By Ben Harvey Phrases like a month’s worth of rain fell in just one day are often seen in media reports of extreme precipitation. But what does this statistic actually mean? How rare is it to see a month’s worth … Continue reading →

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Understanding Summer Flash Flooding

Posted on 20 June, 2016 by Stephen Burt

By Adrian Champion ‘Flash flooding’ is flooding that only lasts between a few hours and a day and typically has very little warning. There are many causes of flash flooding, from the meteorological conditions that lead to the rainfall that … Continue reading →

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A PhD student’s overview of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2016

Posted on 2 May, 2016 by Stephen Burt

By David Flack Last week (18 – 22 April) 13,650 scientists from 109 countries descended upon Vienna for the European Geosciences Union (EGU) general assembly. This includes a range of different disciplines, not just those associated with meteorology and hydrology, … Continue reading →

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Can specific extreme weather or climate events be attributed to climate change?

Posted on 21 March, 2016 by Stephen Burt

By Ted Shepherd Whenever an extreme weather or climate event occurs, scientists are invariably asked whether it can be blamed on anthropogenic climate change. The usual response from climate scientists has been that it is not possible to attribute the … Continue reading →

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Predicting the airborne spread of hazardous releases in urban areas

Posted on 7 March, 2016 by Stephen Burt

By Omduth Coceal The threat of terrorist attacks, like the risk of accidents, is an unfortunate probability that we need to take seriously and be prepared for. A particularly challenging problem is to be able to predict the spread of potentially … Continue reading →

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The melting of Arctic sea ice and the future of trans-Arctic shipping

Posted on 21 December, 2015 by Stephen Burt

By Keith Haines Most people will be familiar with news of the changing conditions in the Arctic where climate change seems to be at its fastest. The loss of sea ice each summer seems to show a rapidly declining trend, … Continue reading →

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West Australian heatwaves and bush fires

Posted on 30 November, 2015 by Stephen Burt

By Mike Blackburn As winter begins in Reading and snow already blankets the Alps, turn your thoughts for a moment to the southern hemisphere where extreme heat and bush fires are among the concerns of Australian forecasters at the beginning … Continue reading →

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Improving jet stream forecasts through observational experiment

Posted on 28 October, 2015 by Stephen Burt

By John Methven Weather systems developing over the North Atlantic and hitting Europe are intimately related to large-amplitude meanders of the jet stream, known as Rossby waves. Characteristic weather patterns grow in concert with the waves, and the jet stream … Continue reading →

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