Show Notes
In December 2023 social platforms lit up with images of nacreous clouds. One evening in December 2023 these clouds, also known as mother of pearl clouds, were visible across the UK and Northern Europe. In this episode we welcome back stratospheric expert Dr Simon Lee to find out why these clouds were seen so far south and piece together the relationship between the displacement of the polar vortex while also learning there is a dark side to nacreous clouds.
Dr. Lee talks about how sudden stratospheric warming was first observed in the 1950’s by scientists in Berlin. The scientists at the time referred to this as ‘explosive warming of the winter time stratosphere’. Although 70 years has passed there is still so much to learn about the interaction of the stratosphere and the troposphere.
Simon delves into larger scale teleconnection patterns and explains why these types of clouds are more common in the Antarctic and what connection, if at all, El Nino may have on the stratosphere.
Listen on if you want to learn about chlorine monoxide, ozone loss, the Aleutian Low and why cold air is increasingly hard to find.
We last met Dr Simon Lee in November 2022 when we learned about all things polar vortex and the impact of sudden stratospheric warmings on the UK. You can find that episode on our website: https://www.fortheloveofweather.com/podcast/s05-e01-the-beast-from-the-east-and-the-polar-vortex-meet-dr-simon-lee
Simon is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics (APAM) at Columbia University in the City of New York, where he works on stratosphere-troposphere coupling, large-scale climate dynamics and variability, and subseasonal-to-seasonal predictability and its applications. He is also Co-Editor-in-Chief of the RMetS Weather journal.
Simon will soon move to the University of St Andrews in Scotland where he will take up a new post as a lecturer. Soon to move to University of St Andrews as a lecturer You can find Dr. Simon Lee on X @SimonLeeWx and we highly recommend you follow him. He is also on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonleewx.
More from For the love of weather
The UK’s hottest summer. The records that kept breaking.
From Svalbard to space, we had the absolute joy of chatting with Laura Tobin about weather, climate, the ever-changing news cycle, her BRAND NEW BOOK 📘📚📖 and so much more. 🌍☁️🚀 We laughed A LOT, shared stories, and came away with one big feeling: Laura’s passion for what she does is truly infectious. It shines through in every conversation, every project and every opportunity she takes on.
You can find this video on YouTube here https://youtu.be/XaYWg74D6l4 Is climate change making flying more turbulent? And what exactly is the jet stream? In this episode of For the Love of Weather, Gemma and Aisling are joined by Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading and one of the world's leading experts on the jet stream, aviation turbulence and climate change. Paul explains the latest science behind one of the biggest questions in weather and aviation: Is climate change making turbulence worse? He also unpacks how the jet stream shapes our weather, why storms and heavy rainfall are becoming more intense, and how weather forecasts continue to improve. In this episode, you'll discover: 🌍 What the jet stream is and why it matters ✈️ How climate change is affecting the atmosphere where aircraft fly ☁️ What clear-air turbulence is—and why pilots can't always see it 🛫 Whether flying is likely to become bumpier in the future 🌪️ Why storms and extreme rainfall are becoming more intense 💨 How weather balloons, satellites and aircraft improve weather forecasting ❤️ Why turbulence is a normal part of flying—and why it shouldn't stop you from travelling Whether you're fascinated by weather, curious about climate science, or simply want to understand what causes turbulence on your next flight, this episode is packed with expert insights and surprising facts. If you want to hear a little more weather and climate chat - please hit subscribe, like and share with a friend. You can follow us on social media - @fortheloveofweather You can subscribe on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ForTheLoveOfWeather Find out more about Professor Paul Williams and his research: https://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~williams/
You can find this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/DdzWtBlNijc
You can find this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/13oYbutPmyQ