Matthew Wright

Atmospheric Physicist

I’m a PhD student in the Physics Department, working on improving seasonal forecasts of global weather: accurately predicting the average weather 1-6 months in advance. To do this, we use weather models which split the world into boxes on a three-dimensional grid and solve physics equations in each gridbox to work out what the weather will do next. I work closely with colleagues at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF). Before coming to Oxford, I completed my undergraduate and master’s degrees in Cambridge.

Through work with The Royal Meteorological Society and AFRY Management Consultancy, I work with the people across the energy sector. I help energy professionals understand weather and climate science and use forecasts to improve the way in which the energy sector functions. Understanding, quantifying and predicting the impact of weather on energy supply, demand and infrastructure is only getting increasingly important as society moves towards an energy system dominated by renewable electricity sources like wind and solar power. Read my Conversation articles (linked below), or reach out if you’d like to learn more!

The Conversation: How extreme weather will affect the insurance and energy sectors
The Conversation: How extreme weather threatens to bring down UK’s power lines and halt supply to homes
Weather article: An introduction to weather, climate and the energy sector