Scotland to help shape how we predict and prepare for the impacts of extreme weather
Date published: 12 November 2026
Scotland is taking a leading role in efforts to improve predictions of floods, droughts and extreme weather, with the launch of a new research partnership aimed at helping communities and businesses better prepare for the future.
The Scotland Living Lab, launched yesterday (Wednesday 11th November) by Newcastle University and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), will bring scientists together with the organisations responsible for forecasting, managing and responding to extreme weather.
As Scotland’s strategic flood risk management authority, SEPA already use scientific evidence, forecasting and modelling to help communities prepare for flooding. The partnership will bring that practical experience into research exploring how Scotland can better anticipate and prepare for increasingly extreme weather.
It will make Scotland a place where advances in climate science can be developed and tested against real-world challenges, helping turn scientific discoveries into better forecasts, earlier warnings and decisions that strengthen society's resilience to extreme conditions.
The need for that work is already clear. In October 2023, the Met Office reported that Scotland had experienced its wettest two-day period in rainfall records dating back to 1891. Just two years later, SEPA reported that the Lower Spey had experienced more days of low river flows than in any other year of its 70-year record.
Turning science into action
The Living Lab forms part of EXTREME-FUTURES, a ten-year research programme led by Professor Hayley Fowler of Newcastle University, which will explore how advances in climate science, modelling and artificial intelligence could transform predictions of extreme weather.
The Living Lab will involve those who use forecasting information from the outset, helping scientists focus on the challenges where better predictions could make the greatest difference.
At Wednesday's launch at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, participants explored priorities for future research, including the hazards and future scenarios that Scotland needs to prepare for.
The day also drew on international expertise, with Monica Youngman, Chief Scientist at the US National Weather Service, attending to share her experience of navigating extreme weather, understanding its impacts and turning scientific knowledge into action. Professor Mat Williams, Scottish Government's Chief Scientific Adviser for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, delivered a keynote address exploring Scotland's efforts to strengthen climate resilience.
Discussions focused on how scientific advances could be translated into operational forecasting, early warning systems and adaptation decisions, with the ambition of strengthening preparedness and societal resilience to extreme weather.
Eleanore Cooper, SEPA's Head of Environment Forecasting, Warning & Informing, said:
"Scotland has experienced some extraordinary weather in recent years, and we've seen the consequences of both too much water and too little.
"We already use sophisticated monitoring, scientific evidence and forecasting to help people prepare for flooding and manage water scarcity. But as our climate changes, there's an opportunity to go much further.
"This isn't just about producing better forecasts. It's about what we can do with that information, how we help communities prepare, protect essential services and make Scotland more resilient to the extremes we know we'll face.
"What makes the Living Lab so important is that we won't simply be waiting for new scientific discoveries and deciding how to use them. We'll help shape the research itself, making sure it addresses real challenges and delivers practical benefits."
An opportunity to make a difference
Professor Hayley Fowler FRS, Professor of Climate Change Impacts at Newcastle University and leader of EXTREME-FUTURES, said:
“Rapid advances in climate science and AI make this research possible now, where it would not have been possible even a few years ago. Improving the prediction of extreme weather on real time to climate change time scale, and particularly focussing on seasonal to multi-annual timescales, will provide useful information for preparation and planning by decision makers across sectors. There is a huge opportunity to make a difference in this space and to save lives. We think it is vitally important to co-develop science with those who will use it, which is why we have set up the living lab in Scotland. This will be an ongoing collaboration between the project team and industry, policy and other decision-makers in Scotland.”
Monica Youngman, Chief Scientist at the US National Weather Service, said:
"Extreme weather transcends international boundaries, requiring the global scientific community to collaborate on advances in both meteorology and social science that improve how communities prepare, respond, and adapt. The U.S. National Weather Service congratulates our partners on the launch of the Scotland Living Lab, which will deliver actionable insights to strengthen global community resilience in the face of extreme events."
The Scotland Living Lab will provide an ongoing opportunity for scientists and practitioners to work together, develop and test new approaches, and help translate international research into practical improvements in forecasting, early warnings and resilience.
That focus on preparing for future risks also connects with Scotland's wider flood risk management work.
On 22nd December, SEPA's Draft Flood Risk Management Plans and local authority draft Local Flood Risk Management Plans will be published together for public consultation. Drawing on scientific evidence, local knowledge and partnership working, the plans will set out proposed objectives and actions to manage flood risk in communities across the country.
The consultation will give people an opportunity to help shape how flood risk is managed in their communities, supporting Scotland's longer-term resilience to a changing climate.
Notes to editors
Images of speakers are available by emailing the SEPA media team.
EXTREME-FUTURES
EXTREME-FUTURES is a ten-year research programme led by Professor Hayley Fowler FRS at Newcastle University, supported by a Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship.
The programme uses advances in climate science, modelling and artificial intelligence to investigate how extreme weather develops, how risks are changing and how prediction could be improved across different timescales.
Newcastle University: Climate expert awarded Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowship
Flood Risk Management Plans
SEPA is developing Scotland's Draft Flood Risk Management Plans for 2028 to 2034, working with local authorities and other partners. Public consultation forms part of the process, with the consultation opening on 22nd December 2026 and running until 21st March 2027. further activity scheduled for December 2026, subject to confirmation of arrangements.
Met Office: Scotland's record two-day rainfall in October 2023