From coronavirus to carbon storage, Reading climate scientists invited local school children to ask them anything on 13 March for British Science Week. Here are some of the burning questions…Read More >
meteorology
The medieval roots of modern weather forecasts
From astronomy to almanacs, Professor Anne Lawrence-Mathers explores the historical origins of weather forecasting in a new post for The Conversation. It’s official: according to the UK’s Met Office, February 2020…Read More >
Sydney’s orange sky reminds us how unpredictable dust storms can be
Last week, a dust storm turned the Sydney skies orange and badly affected local air quality. Dr Claire Ryder explains why such phenomena occur and why more research is needed…Read More >
Smooth ride: air turbulence research shortlisted for NERC Impact Award
Climate change is increasing in-flight air turbulence: bad news for nervous flyers. But Dr Paul Williams has developed an algorithm to predict turbulence up to 18 hours ahead, resulting in…Read More >
What’s the weather like in space?
On 23 November we’re welcoming NASA Astronaut Steve Swanson to campus to tell his stories about life in space. Here at Reading, Dr Clare Watt’s research looks at space weather…Read More >
Why the weather forecast will always be a bit wrong
Weather forecasting is extremely hard – it is a prediction of something that is inherently unpredictable. Reading scientist Jon Shonk explains why forecasts will never be completely accurate, despite improvements…Read More >
Three (and a half) reasons why it has been so hot and dry in the UK and Ireland
We’re all keenly aware of the heat wave that is affecting the UK and beyond – but why might it be happening? Len Shaffrey, University of Reading Professor of Climate…Read More >
The heatwave in numbers
The University of Reading weather records, captured at the Atmospheric Observatory, are updated daily and are publicly available online. Temperatures and rain records go back to 1908, while the sunshine…Read More >
Why clear skies over the Pacific are speeding up climate change
Global warming is accelerating as time passes. Models predict that trend is set to continue even if we manage to rein in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere – but…Read More >