MetSoc 2024 Conference wrap-up

Kia ora koutou katoa,

What a remarkable week we’ve just had! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our annual conference.

We hosted 103 registered attendees and ambitiously packed 64 talks into the programme, including 16 student presentations. Highlights included an update and Q&A from NIWA and MetService CEOs on the weather forecasting system review, an enlightening panel discussion on the needs of end users and stakeholders in climate change adaptation and mitigation, 23 posters, a climate forum discussion, the AGM, a student and ECR networking function, a welcome event, and, of course, the conference dinner. An enormous three days!

A huge shoutout to our conference committee for delivering such a magnificent event and to those who helped on the day by chairing sessions, judging presentations, and asking thought-provoking questions that enriched our discussions. The community spirit at our Society conferences is always a highlight, and it truly takes many hands to bring it all together. I was particularly buoyed by the feedback from first-time attendees about how welcome they felt.

During the AGM, we virtually welcomed our new President, Nicholas Cullen, who will no doubt continue driving the Society in a positive direction. We also welcomed Ciaran Doolin to the committee as a journal editor. Ciaran will work alongside Silvia Martino to continue delivering great content. Meanwhile, Petra Pearce and I are stepping down from the co-editor roles but will remain on the MetSoc committee to offer support.

We also bid farewell to Marwan Katurji, who is stepping down from his role as Christchurch VP. This position is now vacant, and we thank Marwan for his valuable contributions to the Society.

Lastly, congratulations to our conference award winners!

Ma te wā—see you next year for a joint conference with the Hydrological Society!

Nāku noa,
Nava – Immediate Past-President 

PRIZES

Best Poster (People’s Choice): Katherin Holt - The Aotearoa Airborne Pollen Collaborative: exploring the connections between airborne pollen allergens, climate and health

Best Lightning Talk: Laura McDonald - Not to be sneezed at: the case for improved pollen forecasting in Aotearoa New Zealand
The judges commented that Laura’s talk had a very clear problem statement and well delivered. They also appreciated the novelty of the topic at the conference

Highly commended Lightning Talk: Neal Osborne - Climatological evidence of super cooled water droplets
The judges thought that Neal did a great job of explaining a complex science. They also commented that it was nice to get back to some fundamentals. The relatively simple but very impactful piece of research is useful for both local theory and practical applications.

Best Student Talk: Hannah Kessenich - Unravelling recent patterns in Antarctic ozone
The judges said this was a great presentation on very important work. They commended Hannah for her communication and great supporting graphics.

Best Talk: Tristan Meyers - Nowcasting for intermittent renewable energy sources
The judges like that Tristan’s talk applied new technology for a very clear cut societal need. They commented that the talk was engaging and successfully demystified the complicated topic of AI.

Highly commended Talk: Andrew Pauling - Impacts of Antarctic ice mass loss on New Zealand climate
The judges found it interesting to see how the climate models treated Antarctic ice sheets. They commended Andrew for his clear but thorough presentation.