Professor Steve Woolnough is Professor of Climate Science (NCAS) and Principal Research Fellow in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, United Kingdom. He leads the Tropical Weather Group, advancing our understanding and simulation of tropical phenomena on scales ranging from individual convective cells to large-scale monsoon circulations and atmosphere–ocean coupled modes of variability, with a particular focus on the Madden–Julian Oscillation, South and East Asian monsoons, African rainfall, and Maritime Continent variability.
With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, Professor Woolnough has made significant contributions to sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction science and climate services. His work investigates the predictability and dynamics of tropical convection, extreme rainfall, and atmosphere–ocean interactions, underpinning advances in operational forecasting systems and tailored climate services. He has published in leading journals such as the Journal of Climate, the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, and Frontiers in Climate.
His expertise spans climatology, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences, including the study of convective processes, Rossby waves, and the diurnal cycle of convection. By integrating numerical modelling, observational diagnostics, and co-production of climate services, his research supports decision-making in sectors ranging from agriculture to disaster risk reduction.
Website Link: https://research.reading.ac.uk/meteorology/people/steve-woolnough/
