“If you usually watch the TV weather forecast, then you see a scientist at work every day!”

At the science festival SciFest on 7 March you can have a go at presenting a weather forecast, just like a meteorologist.

So, why does the workshop have that particular name?

“We want to explain that weather forecasts are not simply guesswork but science. Even if one might feel that the forecast was incorrect – perhaps you were promised sunshine and it rained – a great deal of work still went into it. Deviations are linked to the extreme difficulty of including every last detail required for a correct forecast. And people often search for a point forecast for their tiny area, which in principle is impossible to produce. For such advanced calculations, we need supercomputers. This is where machine learning is increasingly coming in; among other things, for forecasting temperatures. This makes forecasts more accurate and also accounts for significant local factors, such as proximity to a waterway, that larger global weather models might have difficulty capturing.” 

What will visitors be able to do in your workshop?

“Our intention is to demonstrate how a weather forecast is prepared, in terms of everything from measurements to using computer models to calculate forecasts, and then presented in the weather reports you see on TV. We have therefore purchased a giant screen on which all visitors can have a go at presenting a weather forecast, just like a meteorologist.”

Given the mild winter weather and the fact that parts of southern Sweden have gone directly from autumn to spring, are you expecting some questions on our future climate in Sweden?

“Yes, in all likelihood there will be some questions linked to climate change. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute’s definition of winter is an average daily temperature below zero for five consecutive days. This definition has remained unchanged for many years. As climate change takes hold there may well be some years in which there is no official winter in large parts of Götaland and even up into Svealand.”

You meteorologists are taking part in SciFest for the first time – why are you keen to take part?

“We want to demonstrate the importance of meteorology and similar fields. Science outreach, showing one’s research to the public, is a task that is often somewhat overlooked; however, it is extremely important as it also contributes to widening interest in scientific work. If you usually watch the TV weather forecast, then you see a scientist at work every day! Our hope is that many young people are curious about the work going on behind the scenes and would consider becoming meteorologists. The number of students are so few that the chances of becoming a TV celebrity are great,haha!”