Dr Alexander Roberts

Profile

Alex is a post-doctoral researcher within the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS) at the University of Leeds. He is currently working on the SWAMMA project (see below) investigating the dynamics of the West African Monsoon in the Met Office Unified Model (UM). Prior to this he worked towards his PhD investigating meso-scale convective systems over West Africa close to the monsoon front. This included simulations using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model and evaluation of reanalysis products over summertime West Africa. On completion of his SWAMMA post Alex will start an NCAS postdoctoral position working on nowcasting for Africa within the Global Challenges Research Fund African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (GCRF African SWIFT).

Project details

Project title

Saharan - West African Monsoon Multi-scale Analysis (SWAMMA).

Supervisors

• John Marsham - University of Leeds
• Ellie Highwood - University of Reading

Funding

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Project outline

The SWAMMA project brings together recently acquired observations from the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) and Fennec field campaigns, with simulations from the Met Office Unified model. Observations in the remote Sahara and Sahel and a range of model setups allow the dynamics and couplings within the West African Monsoon (WAM) system to be investigated.

The WAM is critical to the livelihoods of millions of people, and yet, it presents a major challenge for weather prediction. This indicates that there are features of the WAM that are not well understood or represented in well enough in numerical weather prediction models. This lack of understanding also highlights the uncertainties in predicting important features such as rainfall and dust uplift on climate scales.

Project details

Project title

African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (GCRF African SWIFT)

Supervisors

• John Marsham - University of Leeds

Funding

Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF)

Project outline

The GCRF African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (GCRF African SWIFT) programme will develop sustainable forecasting capability, to enhance the livelihood of African populations and improve the economies of their countries. One part of the African SWIFT project is the investigation of nowcasting techniques and the development of systems that can be used by met agencies in Africa to predict high impact weather on very short timescales (0-6 hours). Through the development of nowcasting capabilities for Africa and the close relationships with African scientists and forecasters SWIFT has the potential to provide huge benefits across Africa.

Responsibilities

• NERC funded Saharan West African Monsoon Multiscale Analysis (SWAMMA).
• GCRF funded African Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques (SWIFT).

Research interests

• Convective storms
• African meteorology
• Meso-scale dynamics
• Numerical Weather Prediction
• Nowcasting
• Atmospheric mineral dust
• Reanalyses

Qualifications

• PhD, Convective Episodes near the Intertropical Discontinuity in Summertime West Africa
• BSc, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Leeds

Research groups and institutes

• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science