Changes in climate extremes — the heavy weather — are where society will take “the big hits” of climate change, as I discussed last month. I will therefore need to arrange to be in Wellington (no stranger to weather extremes, it has to be said) for the joint MetSoc (Meteorological Society of NZ) and AMOS (Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society) conference, Extreme Weather 2011 at Te Papa from February 9 – 11. The meeting will include six special sessions each with a keynote address:
- Extreme weather in the Australasian region – from floods to droughts
- Impact and meteorology of the main climate drivers (ENSO, SAM, Monsoon)
- Using high resolution models to understand local meteorology
- Oceanography of the Australasian region
- Climate change in the Australasian region
- Riskscape – Impact of weather on disaster planning in the Australasian region
A good excuse to visit the capital in summer, perhaps? It’ll be windy…
[Disclosure: I’m the least-qualified member of the MetSoc committee.]
[Any excuse for the House]
Should be very interesting. Will finally get to another conference after missing the last 4 or 5. And given that the La Nina should be well-developed by then, and the early February timing, there’s a fair chance it won’t be very windy at all.