Workshop “EXtremes and Rare Events in Climate and related applications” (ExREC)

15-16 June 2026
Reading, UK

Extreme climatic events such as heat waves, droughts, and flooding are expected to change drastically in the future as anthropogenic influences continue. Even more impactful are so-called tipping points: abrupt, large scale, and difficult to reverse transitions. Suspected climate tipping elements include the collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, the North Atlantic sub-polar gyre and the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

While there is some understanding of the dynamics and statistics leading to climatic extremes and rare events, large uncertainties still remain. The rareness of these events makes both statistical inference and numerical modelling very challenging. The observational record is often too short compared to return times of interest and many of the events require high resolution models to fully resolve the complex turbulent processes involved, making simulation costly and energy-consuming. To maximise scientific progress, while limiting the sustainability impact of computation, it is essential to make the most efficient use of both data and numerical models to reduce uncertainties.

The overarching goals of this meeting are therefore to

  1. identify extreme events and tipping elements in climate science where mathematical methods, including Monte Carlo & ensemble methods can create significant advantages, and
  2. to identify mathematical breakthroughs and open challenges that could advance the applicability of numerical sampling methods (e.g. variance estimators).

We are inviting mathematicians and statisticians with an interest in Monte Carlo methods, statistical and machine learning modeling, as well as climate scientist with an interest in extreme and rare events, such as heat waves, droughts, flooding, and tipping elements. We are also reaching out to experts in closely related fields, such as extreme value theory, dynamical systems theory, stochastic analysis and large deviation theory.

The workshop will be hosted at the University of Reading on 15 and 16 June 2026. We aim to start around 12noon on 15 June and wrap up around 4pm on 16 June.

Register here

Registration is free but required. The deadline for registration is 15 May 2026.

Venue

Slingo lecture theatre, JJ Thompson Building

Whiteknights campus, University of Reading (campus map, pdf)

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Travel information

From Reading station, you may take Bus 20 “white knight” or Bus 21 “claret” to the “Pepper Lane University” stop, and then walk for approx. 3 min to the JJT building. If necessary, a taxi rank can also be found near the train station. Bikes can be hired from Reading Bike Hub (though note the 15:00 closing time on Tuesday, inquire about late drop-offs beforehand).

Schedule

15/06/26
 
12:00
13:00
lunch
13:00
13:40
Eviatar Bach
13:40
14:20
Valerian Jacques-Dumas
(online)
14:20
15:30
Coffee & poster session
15:30
16:10
Francesco Coghi
16:10
16:50
Tobias Grafke
16:50
17:20
Frank Kwasniok
(online)
17:20 17:40 Discussions
16/06/26
 
09:00
09:30
Coffee & refreshments
09:30
10:00
Rivkah Moshe
10:00
10:40
Peter Werner
(online)
10:40
11:10
Coffee & refreshments
11:10
11:50
Robin Noyelle
11:50
12:20
Vivian Fraser-Leonhardt
12:20
13:00
Justin Finkel
(online)
13:00
14:20
lunch
14:20
15:00
Joe Clarke
15:00
15:30
Ricardo Consonni
15:30
16:00
Discussions

This event is funded by the Centre for Mathematics of Planet Earth and through an Interdisciplinary Collaboration Grant of the London Mathematical Society.

Confirmed speakers

Organizers