Met Éireann grants €2.8m to six university projects for flood and climate research
The projects aim to develop climate services and formulate new flood forecasting models. File picture: Denis Minihane
A total of €2.8m has been awarded by Met Éireann to fund weather and climate research projects.
The funding will cover six new university projects to further develop climate services and new flood forecasting models. The awards are being made via the Met Éireann Research Call 2024 to innovative projects aimed at addressing climate change, extreme weather events and environmental sustainability.
Met Éireann’s ‘Weather and Climate Research Programme’ aims to strengthen national research capacity and scientific expertise in weather and climate through high-impact projects.
The flood forecasting project titled ‘Integrated Multi-model multi-hazard Flood Forecasting' (IMUFF) is a project based at the University of Galway (NUIG) and will receive €399,976.
The other five projects revolve around climate services under Met Éireann’s ‘TRANSLATE’ climate flagship programme. The project receiving the most funding is The ‘TRANSLATE-3: Underpinning Data’ (T3UD), also hosted at NUIG, which has been awarded €599,992.
‘Building Resilience and Adaptation Capacity for future extreme Events’ (BRACE) is a project based in University College Cork (UCC) which will receive €599,981. ‘Extremes Across Climates and Timeframes’ (EXACT), a project in Maynooth University, will get €599,704.
The final two climate service projects will collect just shy of €300,000 apiece. They are research projects both hosted in UCC. ‘CLImate services for Multi-sector Benefits' (CLIMB) will take in €299,392, and 'Climate-Informed Energy Systems Planning to Support Ireland’s Net Zero Ambitions' (ClimEnergise) will get €299,546 from Met Éireann.
The ’TRANSLATE’ programme continues this Met Éireann-led initiative to optimise standardised climate projections for Ireland. The projects aim to expand the knowledge and understanding of climate change impacts from the annual to decadal timeframe.
They 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.
The flood forecasting research project is aimed at improving our understanding of the interaction between river discharge, tide and storm surge, providing valuable insights on flood risk.
On the awarding of the funding, 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.
"These research projects represent critical contributions to both national and international efforts to address climate change, extreme weather, and environmental sustainability. 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.”
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