My research focuses on large-scale atmospheric and climate variability from weeks to decades ahead, with a focus on subseasonal and seasonal timescales. This encompasses:

1. Understanding the fundamental dynamical processes
2. Quantifying skill and biases in numerical prediction models
3. Developing frameworks to extract useable information from models
4. Translating the results to users and stakeholders.

I utilise a range of data including reanalyses, subseasonal and seasonal forecast model output, Earth system model experiments and climate model data.

Specifically, my research has targeted a better understanding of variability in the stratospheric polar vortex (including sudden stratospheric warmings) and how this influences tropospheric weather and climate. I am part of the steering committee for the APARC Stratospheric Network for the Assessment of Predictability (SNAP) activity.

More recently, I have been working on North American weather regimes, including introducing a novel year-round classification which is suitable for use in operational and research settings. 

I am passionate about bridging the gap between weather and climate sciences, and communicating the science clearly and accurately to the public through a variety of media.

More information is available on my website: simonleewx.com.

• ES3013 Oceans and Atmosphere (co-lecturer)
• ES2003 Dynamic Earth: Earth Surface Processes (co-lecturer)
• ES1002 Earth's Resource Challenges (co-lecturer)