HYBRID | The Challenges of Weather Forecasting In Africa

Title: The challenges of weather forecasting in Africa

Summary: Weather forecasting is hard enough for the UK and talking about how good/bad the weather forecast was is a national pastime. However weather forecasting in Africa can be even more challenging and the consequences of getting it wrong are often felt more strongly by the most vulnerable in society. In this talk we’ll take a whirlwind tour of the weather of Sub-Saharan Africa and discuss why weather forecasting in this unique environment is particularly difficult. We’ll also look at what National Weather Services in Africa use for forecasting and have a look to the future for how their services might evolve in the technological age.

Biography: Dr Caroline Bain is a numerical weather prediction (NWP) expert with extensive specialist knowledge of tropical weather and climate. In academia she was based at the University of Reading, Imperial College and University of Leeds then moved to the University of California. At the Met Office she has held both research and leadership positions in Science, International Development and now Technology. She has led teams of scientists who develop, use and evaluate weather forecasting models in Africa and Southeast Asia. She has a strong commitment to the uplift of National Meteorological Services in developing countries and is passionate about ensuring the benefits of NWP are shared amongst the global meteorological community.