Senior Lecturer in Meteorology and Climatology, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham.
As in previous years, 2013 will show extreme climatic and meteorological events that will have an impact on society and the economy in Europe as worldwide. Although the interference of climate and weather with human activities is not new, its interpretation in the context of man-made climate change is gaining more and more recognition in science and the media.
Scientific research is increasingly focused on whether such events can be attributed to human activity or to the influence of natural variability on time scales from seasons to decades.
Some of these questions may be answered in 2013 when related research activities start to publish substantial scientific results. Such insights will prove invaluable for science, business and society.
The need will grow for systematic analyses of climate and its impact on affected sectors like the insurance industry. This will increase our understanding of the role of natural variability and its relation to longer-term anthropogenic influences, leading to new discussions about mitigation and adaptation.