Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Industrial Mathematics Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) held a joint workshop on the subject of “Statistical Modelling of Weather, Climate and Weather Risks for Insurance”. The workshop was hosted by Lloyd’s of London on 16 February 2009.

The main aim of the workshop was to bring together experts from industry, academia and the weather services, who are using statistical methods to work with weather data.

The workshop provided the first step towards setting the agenda for environmental risk management in the insurance sector and will lead to initiatives that attract joint commitments of the Technology Strategy Board, key industry players and relevant Research Councils.

There were eight technical presenations:

• Atlantic Hurricane Rate Modelling (Katie Coughlin, RMS)
• Statistical downscaling and projections of extreme weather events (Clare Goodess, University of East Anglia)
• Interannual temperature predictions using the IPCC climate models (Thomas Laepple, The Alfred Wegener Institute)
• Use and limitations of Atlantic hurricane seasonal forecasting in (re)insurance (Matt Swann , Hiscox)
• Ensemble Forecasting for Assessment of Weather-Related Risk (Ken Mylne, Met Office)
• You don't have to believe everything you compute (Lenny Smith, London School of Economics)
• Comments on the science needs of the re/insurance industry (Stephen Jewson, RMS)
• Some recent findings about the clustering of extreme storms (David B. Stephenson , Exeter University)

If you would like a copy of presentations, please email Dr Vera Hazelwood at the Industrial Maths KTN.

A Special Interest Group (SIG) in Environmental Risk Management was lauched at the workshop. Please register to become a member of the group to receive invitations to future events and information about funding available to members of the SIG.