Leeds work on African storm forecasting wins Royal Meteorological Society award

Work improving the speed and reach of storm warnings across Africa has been recognised with a major award from the Royal Meteorological Society.

The Forecasting African STorms Application (FASTA), developed through international collaboration led by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of Leeds, has received the RMetS Award for Innovation in the Development of Computational Models, Tools or Visualisation.

The award, announced as part of the Royal Meteorological Society 2025 Awards on 3 June, recognises advances in computational approaches that are reshaping how weather information is generated and used in practice.

FASTA delivers near real-time storm information across Africa by combining satellite observations, artificial intelligence, and nowcasting techniques. It is designed to focus on the next few hours of weather and provides rapidly updated warnings for severe storms, where conditions can evolve quickly, and traditional forecasting approaches may not provide sufficient lead time.

The system is available through a free mobile application and API, enabling access for individuals, emergency responders, governments and organisations operating in high-risk environments. Users include farmers planning around rainfall, fishermen navigating changing sea conditions, and humanitarian teams responding to extreme weather events.

Chris Kiptum of the Kenya Meteorological Services Authority explaining how FASTA is used to deliver hourly nowcasting of severe storms.

Professor Douglas Parker, who holds a joint position between the School of Mathematics and the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability at the University of Leeds, is part of the FASTA team. His expertise in tropical meteorology and high-impact weather has contributed to the scientific foundations underpinning the project.

He said: “At the same time as delivering storm warnings to people and organisations across Africa, FASTA’s mission is to get this state-of-the-art technology into the hands of our partners on the continent, who can improve and adapt the services for their local demands. We have supported partners in installing satellite dishes and acquiring data locally. Our partners are innovating in AI-based forecast methods, which show excellent predictive skill, and the methods are being expanded through training and hackathons.

“We are very happy to have this prestigious award recognising the progress that has been made, and we remain ambitious to keep improving and expanding the delivery of African satellite nowcasting.”

FASTA is built on close collaboration between researchers and operational meteorology partners across Africa. National meteorological services involved include the Ghana Meteorological Agency, the Zambia Meteorological Department, the Mozambique National Meteorology Institute, and the Kenya Meteorological Department. This co-development approach has been central to ensuring the system is both scientifically robust and operationally useful in local contexts.

Professor Liz Bentley FRMetS, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said: “The achievements recognised through the RMetS Awards reflect the strength, diversity, and global importance of weather and climate science today. We warmly congratulate all of our 2025 winners and thank them for their continued contributions to research, education, communication, and professional practice.”

The FASTA team described the award as recognition of a shared effort to improve access to life-saving weather information, and added: “FASTA began with a simple but urgent question: how can we get life-saving weather information to people who need it most, when they need it most? Across much of Africa, severe storms develop quickly, observations are limited, and access to timely warnings can make the difference between safety and disaster.”

The system continues to expand across the continent, with ongoing development focused on improving forecast reach and strengthening early-warning capabilities in regions where high-impact weather can have severe societal consequences.

Further information

• Lead image caption: Satellite dishes outside of Kenya Meteorological Services Authority, Nairobi, where FASTA is being used.
• For media enquiries, please contact Faculty Communications Manager Matt Gardner at M.D.Gardner@leeds.ac.uk.