2 days ago
Met Éireann awards €2.8m funding to climate forecasting projects
Met Éireann has announced that it is awarding €2.8 million in funding to six new university research projects to develop new climate services and flood forecasting models.
The awards are being made via the Met Éireann Research Call 2024 to projects aimed at addressing climate change, extreme weather events and environmental sustainability, the national forecaster said.
Met Éireann said its Weather and Climate Research Programme, which has been running since 2018, aims to strengthen national research capacity and scientific expertise in weather and climate, through high-impact projects.
Five of the six projects are funded under Met Éireann's 'TRANSLATE' climate services programme.
It is hoped that those projects will expand knowledge and understanding of climate change impacts.
According to Met Éireann, those projects will explore the nature of how extreme events are changing, and will develop services that support adaptation and decision-making for greater climate resilience in Ireland.
Outside of those five projects, the remaining project is focused on flood forecasting, and is aimed at improving understanding of the interaction between river discharge, tide, and storm surge, providing insights on flood risk.
The six projects that are receiving the funding are as follows:
Project Institution Project lead Amount T3UD: TRANSLATE-3: Underpinning Data University of Galway Dr. Paul Nolan €599,992 BRACE: Building Resilience and Adaptation Capacity for future extreme Events University College Cork Dr. Paraic Ryan €599,981 EXACT: Extremes Across Climates and Timeframes Maynooth University Prof. Conor Murphy €599,704 CLIMB: Climate services for Multi-sector Benefits University College Cork Dr. Paul Holloway €299,392 ClimEnergise: Climate-Informed Energy Systems Planning to Support Ireland's Net Zero Ambitions University College Cork Dr. Vahid Aryanpur €299,546 IMUFF: Integrated Multi-model Multi-hazard Flood Forecasting University of Galway Dr. Indiana Olbert €399,976
Commenting on the funding award, director of Met Éireann Eoin Moran said: "On behalf of Met Éireann, I extend my sincere congratulations to University College Cork, Maynooth University and University of Galway.
We look forward to the significant advancements each institution will contribute to our collective understanding of weather, climate, and environmental systems," he added.
"These research projects represent critical contributions to both national and international efforts to address climate change, extreme weather, and environmental sustainability."
Moran added: "As a proud supporter of innovative research, Met Éireann is committed to ongoing exploration that supports adaptive responses and strategic planning for improved climate resilience."
The Met Éireann Weather and Climate Research Programme was launched in 2018, initially through co-funding partnerships with other research funding organisations.
The Research Call 2024 was the start of the fourth round of funding, with €10.3 million already dispersed across Irish academic institutions.
According to Met Éireann, nearly 80% of researchers who applied to Research Call 2024 had not previously applied.
Met Éireann said it welcomed the growing reach of the programme and the increased number of active researchers in weather and climate science in Ireland.
