Identifying weather patterns responsible for renewable energy droughts over India
Isa Dijkstra
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
Hannah C. Bloomfield
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Kieran M. R. Hunt
Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
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Kieran M. R. Hunt, Jean-Philippe Baudouin, Andrew G. Turner, A. P. Dimri, Ghulam Jeelani, Pooja, Rajib Chattopadhyay, Forest Cannon, T. Arulalan, M. S. Shekhar, T. P. Sabin, and Eliza Palazzi
Weather Clim. Dynam., 6, 43–112, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-43-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-6-43-2025, 2025
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Western disturbances (WDs) are storms that predominantly affect north India and Pakistan during the winter months, where they play an important role in regional water security, but can also bring a range of natural hazards. In this review, we summarise recent literature across a range of topics: their structure and lifecycle, precipitation and impacts, interactions with large-scale weather patterns, representation in models, how well they are forecast, and their response to changes in climate.
Kieran M. R. Hunt and Sandy P. Harrison
Clim. Past, 21, 1–26, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1-2025, 2025
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In this study, we train machine learning models on tree rings, speleothems, and instrumental rainfall to estimate seasonal monsoon rainfall over India over the last 500 years. Our models highlight multidecadal droughts in the mid-17th and 19th centuries, and we link these to historical famines. Using techniques from explainable AI (artificial intelligence), we show that our models use known relationships between local hydroclimate and the monsoon circulation.
Priya Bharati, Pranab Deb, and Kieran M. R. Hunt
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2845, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2845, 2024
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Snowfall in the Karakoram and Western Himalayas (KH) correlates negatively with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) during the winter (DJF). A wave-like pattern in the upper atmosphere, accompanied with a northward moving subtropical jet over KH, is associated with warm SST in the northwest Pacific Ocean. More frequent western disturbances (WDs) migrated north of KH region during the negative phase of PDO, resulting in increased moisture transport to the KH.
John Hillier, Adrian Champion, Tom Perkins, Freya Garry, and Hannah Bloomfield
Geosci. Commun., 7, 195–200, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-195-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-7-195-2024, 2024
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To allow for more effective use of climate science, this work proposes and evaluates an open-access R code that deploys a measure of how natural hazards (e.g. extreme wind and flooding) co-occur, is obtainable from scientific research and is usable in practice without restricted data (climate or risk) being exposed. The approach can be applied to hazards in various sectors (e.g. road, rail and telecommunications).
Kieran M. R. Hunt
Weather Clim. Dynam., 5, 345–356, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-345-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-5-345-2024, 2024
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This study investigates changes in weather systems that bring winter precipitation to south Asia. We find that these systems, known as western disturbances, are occurring more frequently and lasting longer into the summer months. This shift is leading to devastating floods, as happened recently in north India. By analysing 70 years of weather data, we trace this change to shifts in major air currents known as the subtropical jet. Due to climate change, such events are becoming more frequent.
Kieran M. R. Hunt and Andrew G. Turner
Weather Clim. Dynam., 3, 1341–1358, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-1341-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-3-1341-2022, 2022
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More than half of India's summer monsoon rainfall arises from low-pressure systems: storms originating over the Bay of Bengal. In observation-based data, we examine how the generation and pathway of these storms are changed by the
boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation– the chief means of large-scale control on the monsoon at timescales of a few weeks. Our study offers new insights for useful prediction of these storms, important for both water resources planning and disaster early warning.
Kieran M. R. Hunt, Gwyneth R. Matthews, Florian Pappenberger, and Christel Prudhomme
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 5449–5472, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5449-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-5449-2022, 2022
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In this study, we use three models to forecast river streamflow operationally for 13 months (September 2020 to October 2021) at 10 gauges in the western US. The first model is a state-of-the-art physics-based streamflow model (GloFAS). The second applies a bias-correction technique to GloFAS. The third is a type of neural network (an LSTM). We find that all three are capable of producing skilful forecasts but that the LSTM performs the best, with skilful 5 d forecasts at nine stations.
Hannah C. Bloomfield, David J. Brayshaw, Matthew Deakin, and David Greenwood
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2749–2766, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2749-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2749-2022, 2022
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There is a global increase in renewable generation to meet carbon targets and reduce the impacts of climate change. Renewable generation and electricity demand depend on the weather. This means there is a need for high-quality weather data for energy system modelling. We present a new European-level, 70-year dataset which has been specifically designed to support the energy sector. We provide hourly, sub-national climate outputs and include the impacts of near-term climate change.
Hannah C. Bloomfield, David J. Brayshaw, Paula L. M. Gonzalez, and Andrew Charlton-Perez
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2259–2274, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2259-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2259-2021, 2021
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Energy systems are becoming more exposed to weather as more renewable generation is built. This means access to high-quality weather forecasts is becoming more important. This paper showcases past forecasts of electricity demand and wind power and solar power generation across 28 European countries. The timescale of interest is from 5 d out to 1 month ahead. This paper highlights the recent improvements in forecast skill and hopes to promote collaboration in the energy–meteorology community.
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Short summary
Energy systems across the globe are evolving to meet climate mitigation targets. This requires rapid reductions in fossil fuel use and much more renewable generation. Renewable energy is dependent on the weather. A consequence of this is that there will be periods of low renewable energy production, driven by particular weather conditions. We look at the weather conditions during these periods and show the Indian energy sector could prepare for these events out to 14 days ahead.
Energy systems across the globe are evolving to meet climate mitigation targets. This requires...