Teams – Urban-PREDICT

About Team

The Urban-PREDICT Steering Group is composed of physical and social scientists with different backgrounds representing six WMO regions: Africa, Asia, North America, South America, South-West Pacific, and Europe. They have a range of specialties: weather prediction model development, urban climatologist, air and water quality, boundary layer meteorology, hydrology, governance, sustainability and climate in cities, societal risk, vulnerability, adaptive capacity, and urban planning policy and economy.

Co-Chairs

Fei Chen

Professor & Associate Head

Prof. Fei Chen is currently a Professor and Associate Head of Division of Environment and Sustainability

Fei Chen

Professor & Associate Head

Organization:
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
Job Title:
Professor & Associate Head, Division of Environment and Sustainability
Bio:
Prof. Fei Chen is currently a Professor and Associate Head of Division of Environment and Sustainability at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He previously served over 25 years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), culminating as Deputy Director of the Hydrometeorology Applications Program. His research specializes in land–atmosphere interactions, urbanization impacts on climate, and development of community weather and climate models. In 2025, he received the prestigious Luke Howard Award from the International Association for Urban Climate, recognizing his transformative contributions to urban climate modeling and policy-relevant applications. The award reflects his leadership in developing next-generation urban weather and climate models for localized hazard forecasting, including tools to improve predictions of urban heatwaves, air quality, and extreme precipitation. At HKUST, Prof. Chen spearheads interdisciplinary initiatives integrating physical climate science with AI and sustainability. These efforts inform both academic research and practical tools—such as high-resolution urban prediction systems—for decision-makers across the Asia-Pacific region. He plays a central role in the Urban-PREDICT project under the WWRP, advancing early-warning capabilities in climate-vulnerable cities.
Research interests:
Land–atmosphere interactions; urban climate modeling; community weather and climate models.

Soledad Garcia Ferrari

Programme Director

Professor Soledad Garcia Ferrari holds a Personal Chair in Global Urbanism and Resilience.

Soledad Garcia Ferrari

Programme Director

Organization:
University of Edinburgh, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA)
Job Title:
Personal Chair of Global Urbanism & Resilience; Programme Director, MSc Urban Strategies and Design; Dean for Latin America; Director, Centre for Contemporary Latin American Studies
Bio:
Professor Soledad Garcia Ferrari holds a Personal Chair in Global Urbanism and Resilience. Professionally qualified in Architecture and Urbanism in Uruguay, she has extensive expertise in sustainable urban planning in Europe and Latin America, with a focus on community-empowerment, participatory and co-creation processes in the production and management of the built environment, towards increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change. Soledad leads action research focused on community-led climate change-related risk management in Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala. She is currently working on the implementation of co-produced strategies for risk management, integrating climate change adaptation, such as the incorporation of Nature Based Solutions in Medellin. Soledad is also leading research with academics from Kyiv and Athens focused on post-crisis urban regeneration. She is Programme Director for the MSc Urban Strategies and Design. Soledad is Co-Chair of the World Weather Research Programme - Urban PREDICT and is UK representative for the International Committee for Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) of the International Science Council (ISC)
Research interests:
Urban resilience; participatory processes; Latin American urbanism.

Urban-PREDICT Steering Group members

Lewis Blunn

Senior Scientist

Dr Lewis Blunn is a Senior Scientist in the Urban-Scale Modelling Team at the UK Met Office,

Lewis Blunn

Senior Scientist

Organization:
Met Office, United Kingdom
Job Title:
Senior Scientist, Urban-Scale Modelling Team
Bio:
Dr Lewis Blunn is a Senior Scientist in the Urban-Scale Modelling Team at the UK Met Office, where he develops ultra-high-resolution (100 m) ensemble weather forecasts for cities. His work focuses on representing urban surfaces in numerical weather prediction to improve forecasts of heatwaves, thunderstorms, and other high-impact events. He also develops machine learning techniques to downscale forecasts efficiently and collaborates on international efforts such as the Paris 2024 Olympics Research Demonstration project. Lewis joined the Met Office in 2021 after a postdoctoral position with Prof. Sue Grimmond at the University of Reading. He earned his PhD at Reading (2016–2020), where he researched boundary-layer turbulence and pollutant transport in cities, and holds an integrated Master’s in Physics from the University of Manchester. Before academia, he worked as a geophysicist on seismic data. His contributions support WMO’s Urban Prediction efforts by advancing operational tools for sub-km forecasting that meet the growing needs of climate-vulnerable cities.
Research interests:
Urban climate; high-res weather modeling; machine learning.

Gabriela Di Giulio

Associate Professor

Prof. Gabriela Marques Di Giulio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health

Gabriela Di Giulio

Associate Professor

Organization:
University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil
Job Title:
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health
Bio:
Prof. Gabriela Marques Di Giulio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo. She holds a PhD in Environment and Society from UNICAMP (2010), a Master’s in Science and Technology Policy, and degrees in scientific journalism and journalism. She has held research positions in Durham, Stuttgart, and York, and has been an active member of global research networks on climate adaptation. At USP, she co-leads the Environment and Society research group, vice-leads CIRIS on Governance, Risk, and Communication, and is a permanent researcher at INCLINE, where she coordinates the Cities, Vulnerabilities & Climate Change subproject. She has led multiple interdisciplinary projects on climate governance, adaptation, and communication, with a focus on Brazilian cities and Latin America. She also advises national science-policy programs such as Biota/FAPESP and postgraduate training in Global Health and Sustainability. Gabriela is widely published and recognized for advancing knowledge on how social, cultural, and political dimensions shape responses to climate change. Since 2024, she has been a Steering Group member of WWRP’s Urban Prediction Project under WMO.
Research interests:
Climate adaptation; governance; risk communication.

Sara Harrison

GNS S

Prof. Shouraseni Sen Roy is Professor of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of Miami.

Sara Harrison

GNS S

Organization:
University of Miami, USA
Job Title:
Professor, Department of Geography & Sustainable Development
Bio:
Prof. Shouraseni Sen Roy is Professor of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of Miami. Her research integrates climatology, GIS, and remote sensing to study spatial patterns of climate variability, urban heat, and extreme events. She has published extensively on climate-health interactions, geospatial vulnerability analysis, and the climatology of South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Prof. Sen Roy has contributed as a lead researcher on climate change and public health linkages, producing influential studies that assess how climate extremes intersect with socioeconomic vulnerability. Her work has been widely cited in both academic and applied policy contexts, including IPCC reports and COP-related discussions. She also mentors graduate students and directs projects on climate risk and adaptation in coastal cities vulnerable to hurricanes and sea-level rise. Through her interdisciplinary approach, Prof. Sen Roy continues to inform international collaborations on climate resilience, helping shape adaptive strategies for urban regions facing intensifying climate stress.
Research interests:
Urban climate; geospatial analysis; climate-health interactions; coastal vulnerability.

Valéry Masson

Researcher

Dr Valéry Masson is a distinguished researcher at the Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques..

Valéry Masson

Researcher

Organization:
National Water Institute (INA), University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Job Title:
Researcher, Hydrology and Water Resources Division
Bio:
Dr. Mariano Re is a Researcher at Argentina’s National Water Institute (INA) and affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires. His expertise lies in hydrology, water resource management, and the interactions between urban systems and climate variability. He has been involved in applied research projects addressing sustainable water management in Argentine cities and regions vulnerable to flooding. Dr. Re has contributed to national assessments on climate impacts on water resources and has supported integrated planning strategies for urban flood risk management. His publications cover hydrological modelling, watershed management, and adaptation strategies to cope with increasing climate variability. He also advises governmental agencies on developing climate-resilient water management policies. By linking hydrological science with urban planning, Dr. Re plays a key role in strengthening the ability of cities to manage water-related risks under changing climate conditions.
Research interests:
Hydrology; water management; urban–climate interactions.

Dr. Negin Nazarian

Associate Professor

Dr. Negin Nazarian, Scientia Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney),

Dr. Negin Nazarian

Associate Professor

Dr. Negin Nazarian, Scientia Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), is a recognized leader in urban climate, advancing knowledge on city-climate interactions. She is Deputy Director (Science Partnership) at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century, chairs the Board on Urban Environment at the American Meteorological Society, and is a Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities in the 7th Assessment Report (AR7). Negin’s expertise as an urban climatologist focuses on understanding the complex interactions between the built environment and climate, with a keen interest in how these dynamics impact people. Her notable accolades include the prestigious 2023 Timothy Oke Award for Original Research in urban overheating as well as the 2024 NSW Young Tall Poppy Award, highlighting her pioneering contributions to the field. Negin leads the Climate-Resilient Cities (CRC) research lab at UNSW, a multidisciplinary team dedicated to addressing pressing challenges of urban climate, particularly focusing on urban heat exposure and ventilation. The CRC’s mission is dedicated to advancing high-resolution urban climate modeling, refining urban canopy parameterizations (through physical or AI modelling), and employing urban climate informatics to enhance our understanding of human exposure to urban climate challenges. Prior to her tenure at UNSW, Dr. Nazarian served as the SMART Scholar at the Singapore-MIT Alliance following her graduation from the University of California, San Diego.

Thara Prabhakaran

Project Director

Thara Prabhakaran is the Project Director of Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement

Thara Prabhakaran

Project Director

Organization:
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, India
Job Title:
Project Director, CAIPEEX
Bio:
Thara Prabhakaran is the Project Director of Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX) /Physics and Dynamics of Tropical Clouds Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. She obtained her MSc in Physics and MTech in Atmospheric Physics from Pune University, Ph.D. from Institute for Meteorology and Physics, BOKU, Austria. Her areas for research include cloud physics and boundary layer, cloud seeding research and development. She is establishing a centre of excellence for cloud physics and weather modification research; a convective cloud chamber and other facilities and capacities will be developed. She has more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, is an author and has contributed to four books, including a landmark WMO peer-review report. Dr. Prabhakaran is a member of the International Commission for Clouds and Precipitation (ICCP), WMO Weather modification Expert Team Member. She is the recipient of the Anna Mani Award of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Research interests:
Cloud physics; tropical convection; precipitation enhancement.

María Eugenia Ibarrarán Viniegra

Xabier Gorostiaga Institute for Environmental Research

Dr. María Eugenia Ibarrarán Viniegra is a Researcher

María Eugenia Ibarrarán Viniegra

Xabier Gorostiaga Institute for Environmental Research

Organization:
Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, Mexico
Job Title:
Xabier Gorostiaga Institute for Environmental Research
Bio:
Dr. María Eugenia Ibarrarán Viniegra is a Researcher at Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, specializing in socio-environmental vulnerability, urban sustainability, and climate adaptation in Mexico and Latin America. She holds a PhD in Geography and has specialized in energy and environmental economics . She and has dedicated her career to examining the social dimensions of climate change impacts on urban communities. Her research integrates economics, social justice, and environmental policy to address how inequalities shape vulnerability and resilience in cities. Dr. Ibarrarán has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to national and regional assessments on climate adaptation strategies. She also advises policymakers and civil society groups on integrating equity considerations into environmental planning. Her contributions have helped advance interdisciplinary approaches to resilience, ensuring that adaptation strategies are inclusive and effective.
Research interests:
Urban vulnerability; social justice; environmental economics.

Olga Wilhelmi

Project Scientist, Research Applications Laboratory

Dr. Olga Wilhelmi is a research scientist at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research..

Olga Wilhelmi

Project Scientist, Research Applications Laboratory

Organization:
NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR), USA
Job Title:
Project Scientist, Research Applications Laboratory
Bio:
Dr. Olga Wilhelmi is a research scientist at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, where she works in the Research Applications Laboratory and leads the NSF NCAR’s GIS Program. Her research bridges urban climatology, disaster risk reduction, and societal applications of Earth system science. She focuses on human and geographic dimensions of extreme weather events in urban environments and on developing geospatial tools that integrate climate data into decision-making processes. Dr. Wilhelmi has led numerous interdisciplinary projects that link climate science with social and behavioral sciences, public health, emergency management, and urban planning. Her research group designed climate services that translate technical forecasts into actionable guidance for communities. She has collaborated with U.S. agencies, international organizations, and city governments to strengthen resilience to extreme heat, floods, and other climate extremes. Through her work at NSF NCAR, she has advanced approaches for understanding societal risks, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities to weather and climate extremes and worked with communities and stakeholders on co-developing solutions for climate resilience.
Research interests:
Urban risks; vulnerability; ; extreme events; climate services, GIS

Mariano Re

Researcher

Dr. Mariano Re is a Researcher at Argentina’s National Water Institute (INA) and affiliated with the..

Mariano Re

Researcher

Shouraseni Sen Roy

Professor

Prof. Shouraseni Sen Roy is Professor of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of Miami.

Shouraseni Sen Roy

Professor

Andrea Laura Pineda

Researcher, CONICET

Dr. Andrea L. Pineda Rojas is a Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina

Andrea Laura Pineda

Researcher, CONICET

Dr. Andrea L. Pineda Rojas is a Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET), based at the Centro de Investigaciones del Mar y la Atmósfera (CIMA), University of Buenos Aires. She leads the Urban Air Pollution Group (AIRE), which focuses on atmospheric dispersion modeling and the analysis of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) events in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (MABA). She combines model development and evaluation with statistical analysis of observational data, particularly in contexts with limited monitoring networks. She has advanced methods for model performance evaluation, uncertainty assessment, and sensitivity analysis using big-data approaches, with applications to understanding the drivers of high-pollution episodes. She has also applied her expertise to studies on airborne transmission of respiratory diseases, contributing to public health responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has published in international journals and conference proceedings, provided scientific advice on air quality to governmental and international institutions, and participates in international collaborations on urban air quality modeling and management.
Research interests:
Urban air pollution; urban-scale air quality modeling; nitrogen dioxide; high-pollution events; model evaluation and uncertainty; exposure assessment.

Dr. Gilbert Siame

Lecturer and Researcher

Dr. Gilbert Siame is an interdisciplinary urban researcher specializing in urban development and..

Dr. Gilbert Siame

Lecturer and Researcher

Lecturer and Researcher, Department of Geographical Sciences, Environment and Planning, University of Zambia (UNZA), Leader of the Centre for Urban Research and Planning at UNZA. Dr. Gilbert Siame is an interdisciplinary urban researcher specializing in urban development and planning. His research involves a broad spectrum of critical elements in urban systems and planning, including climate change adaptation in African cities, co-production of urban spaces and services, urban food systems, and the dynamics of urban informality and infrastructures. He has authored several peer-reviewed publications and scientific reports. He currently serves on two UN-WMO-expert groups: Urban-PREDICT Project and Societal and Economic Research Applications (SERA) working group. He has contributed significantly to applied climate projects including the Future Resilience for African CiTies And Lands (FRACTAL), The CLARE MECHANICS (Methods to Enhance Adaptation Resilience and Climate Information Services), Capacity Strengthening for NbS in African cities, linking school feeding in African cities with sustainable urban agrifood-food systems, community-led climate resilient settlement upgrading approaches, among other projects. He has served on several scientific and evidence to action groups including Building Actionable Climate Information for Africa Adaptation. In these expert groups and in research projects, Dr. Siame provides social science and urban systems insights on rethinking climate services and climate information generation methods and approaches to prioritise practical utility of the information by urban society for adaptation and resilience.

SSC Liaisons

Shiguang Miao

Senior Researcher

Dr. Shiguang Miao is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Urban Meteorology in Beijing, where he..

Shiguang Miao

Senior Researcher

Organization:
Institute of Urban Meteorology, China
Job Title:
Senior Researcher
Bio:
Dr. Shiguang Miao is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Urban Meteorology in Beijing, where he specializes in urban weather and climate processes. His research focuses on urban boundary-layer meteorology, observational networks, and modelling approaches that enhance forecasts for metropolitan areas. He has contributed to the development of urban observational field campaigns and urban numerical weather prediction systems. Dr. Miao is active in WMO collaborations and has published widely on the influence of urbanization on local climate, air quality, and extreme weather events. Through his leadership, the Institute of Urban Meteorology has advanced tools that integrate meteorological science with city planning and public safety applications.
Research interests:
Urban meteorology; boundary-layer processes; forecasting.

Volker Lehmann

Expert Research Scientist

Dr. Volker Lehmann is an Expert Scientist at the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Weather Service, DWD).

Volker Lehmann

Expert Research Scientist

Organization:
Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany Job Title: Expert Research Scientist
Bio:
Dr. Volker Lehmann is an Expert Scientist at the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Weather Service, DWD). His research focuses on integrating surface-based remote sensing systems into operational meteorology. He has worked extensively on atmospheric measurement technologies, including both radar and lidar systems, and their role in improving weather prediction. Dr. Lehmann collaborates with European and international partners to develop methodologies for improving the observational data base for high-resolution forecasting systems. His work supports the development of urban prediction services that are tailored to the needs of city stakeholders, strengthening disaster preparedness and climate adaptation strategies.
Research interests:
Radar and lidar observing system research; High-resolution weather forecasting.

Dr. Siham Sbii

Meteorological Expert

Ms. Siham Sbii is a Meteorological Expert at Morocco’s National Meteorological Service

Dr. Siham Sbii

Meteorological Expert

Organization:
Morocco Meteorological Service, Morocco
Job Title:
Meteorological Expert
Bio:
Ms. Siham Sbii is a Meteorological Expert at Morocco’s National Meteorological Service, where she leads the National Center for Meteorological Research, based in Casablanca. Her work focuses on advancing research in nowcasting, numerical weather prediction, AI applications in meteorology, urban-scale forecasting, and weather modification. She has been actively involved in international collaborations, including contributions within the ACCORD consortium and with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), where she served as a member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP).
Research interests:
Nowcasting, numerical weather prediction, AI for meteorology, urban-scale NWP, and impact-based forecasting.

International Coordination Office (ICO)

To facilitate the smooth operation and execution of Urban-PREDICT, an International Coordination Office (ICO) has been established. The ICO carries a broad portfolio of responsibilities, ranging from project management and coordination to communication, outreach, and operational support, all aimed at ensuring the project’s effectiveness and impact. Serving as the hub of these activities, the Urban-PREDICT ICO is hosted at the Institute for the Environment of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

Kai-Hon Alexis Lau

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China

Kai-Hon Alexis Lau

Organization:
Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany Job Title: Expert Research Scientist
Bio:
Dr. Volker Lehmann is an Expert Scientist at the Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Weather Service, DWD). His research focuses on integrating surface-based remote sensing systems into operational meteorology. He has worked extensively on atmospheric measurement technologies, including both radar and lidar systems, and their role in improving weather prediction. Dr. Lehmann collaborates with European and international partners to develop methodologies for improving the observational data base for high-resolution forecasting systems. His work supports the development of urban prediction services that are tailored to the needs of city stakeholders, strengthening disaster preparedness and climate adaptation strategies. Research interests: Radar and lidar observing system research; High-resolution weather forecasting