A leading Met Office climate scientist has been awarded the Copernicus Medal, a prestigious international award for pioneering research.
Professor Adam Scaife, Head of Monthly to Decadal Prediction at the Met Office – who is also Professor of applied mathematics at the University of Exeter – was chosen as the winner by the international judging panel for his research into the causes, simulation and prediction of climate variability.
Presented with the medal at a ceremony during the Royal Meteorological Society’s Atmospheric Science Conference, Adam said: “I am truly delighted to receive this award. It is encouraging and humbling to have my work recognised in this way and I want to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of all of my collaborators and everyone in my research group. Together, we have uncovered exciting new results on long-range predictability of the atmosphere.”
Adam’s research group issues climate forecasts on a regular basis and develops long range predictions for adaptation to climate variability and change. He carries out research on climate variability and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles on the mechanisms, improved computer modelling and predictability of regional climate. His group recently made an important breakthrough in seasonal forecasting which allows skilful prediction and new applications of long range forecasts for Europe and North America.
The Copernicus Medal is presented annually by an international and interdisciplinary panel. It recognises ingenious and innovative work in the geosciences, planetary and space sciences, and exceptional efforts in international collaboration in scientific research.
Official blog of the Met Office news team 
I feel strongly the weather forecasts lately are’ miles out’. I took a laughable picture across our caravan site that says it all. OK it is North Wales where it mainly rains but the BBC weather forecast that morning said Hot weather for our region & there was a line with a weather front across a third of North West Ireland. The trouble was the forecasters got it wrong by about 400 miles because from our Caravan in Criccieth an observer could only see across the field 100 yards due to the fog and drizzle! Nice. A long time ago proving there were lies told by the weather forecasters I mentioned to an old RAF 2nd world war meteorologist that ‘they’ said the weather would improve soon I cannot see it he said immediately……. he said the winds were fixed for quite a time re prevailing Atlantic S Westerlies…….. sure enough it rained for another fortnight! Hence Kenneth Horns joke re meteorologists or as some would say………’ liars’!
Hello Michael
Thanks you for your comment. We always strive to provide the most accurate forecasts possible. If you have comments or concerns about BBC weather forecasts you will need to contact them, we no longer provide their weather services.
Helen