We research the development of extreme weather situations, how these are affected by natural and man-made climate change, and how we can develop better forecasting systems that can in turn reduce the risk of damage and loss of life.
We have a wide range of expertise that is used to research extreme weather. By using the global climate model we have developed, downscalings of this and other models, assessments are made of how extreme wind and precipitation events will develop.
We have also developed a high-resolution atmospheric model, which provides increased understanding of local extreme events. The model has been used to support air quality monitoring in Bergen, and to calculate extreme wind situations during the construction of the Hardanger Bridge.
High-resolution remote sensing data is also used to assess extreme events related to climate. We have collaborations with several European cities to find which indicators and analyzes of extreme events can be used for spatial planning.
Through expertise in how coincidences of climate events create extreme situations, research is carried out, among other things, on the relationship between temperature rise, sea level changes and marine heat waves, and models are developed to forecast algae blooms.
