Pushing the boundaries of urban meteorology requires precision, innovation, and collaboration. As a researcher in the UrbanAIR project at the KNMI, you will refine the representation of urban areas in HARMONIE-AROME, improving sub-kilometer weather forecasts through advanced energy balance modeling and land use data integration. Working closely with international experts, you will contribute to the scientific understanding of urban-atmosphere interactions, publish in peer-reviewed journals and translate research into operational weather models—advancing both meteorological science and climate resilience.
What will you be doing?
To advance urban meteorology, an accurate representation of cities in numerical weather prediction models is essential. You will collaborate with researchers from Météo-France and SMHI to refine HARMONIE-AROME and AROME, enabling high-resolution city- to neighbourhood-scale forecasts. This requires a fundamental shift in urban parameterization, including the further development of the multi-layer Town Energy Balance (TEB) model and its interaction with boundary-layer turbulence.
To fully leverage these fine-scale simulations, you will also refine urban land-use data, ensuring it aligns with the latest observational insights. Your work will directly contribute to the operational weather and climate models used at KNMI and will bridge fundamental research and applied forecasting. You will publish in peer-reviewed journals and engage with Large Eddy Simulation experts across Europe, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations that drive innovation in urban weather prediction.
This gives you energy
You are driven by the challenge of improving weather prediction at urban scales, where fine-scale atmospheric processes interact with complex surface conditions. Pushing the boundaries of numerical modeling, you seek to refine methodologies, enhance model accuracy, and translate insights into tangible forecasting improvements.
You thrive in an environment where rigorous analysis, scientific integrity, and collaboration shape innovation. Engaging with international experts, you contribute to fundamental research while ensuring your findings are applicable to real-world forecasting. The opportunity to publish, experiment, and refine urban meteorological models—advancing both scientific understanding and practical application—fuels your ambition.
Would you like more information?
We understand that you may want additional information about this position. Feel free to contact Ben Wichers Schreur, team leader, at +31 6 81336849. He will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
At KNMI, our mission is to collect and analyze data on the atmosphere and subsurface, transforming it into actionable insights that help society understand and manage risks.
Interested in learning more about how we make high-quality knowledge and information on weather, climate and seismology operationally available? You can read more about it on our website.