PhD Studentship: Storm Triplets and Beyond: Jet Stream Forcing of Cyclone Sequences

Storm sequences such as ‘Dudley’, ‘Eunice’ and ‘Franklin’ inflict flooding and extreme winds upon the UK and Northwest Europe resulting in losses of billions of GBP and multi-sector impacts (e.g. road, power distribution). This project will develop new insights into what drives flooding and extreme wind to co-occur on timescales from (sub-)daily to seasonal.

Our recent work suggests that the North Atlantic jet stream is critical, but distinct knowledge gaps remain about how it drives joint hazards (e.g. its waviness, temporal evolution). Also, the origin of triplets (i.e. >2 events in a limited time window) is essentially unexplored. Using state-of-the-art climate modelling (e.g. EUROCORDEX) and techniques to identity triplets offers the opportunity of dramatic new insights into extra-tropical cyclone hazard now and as climate changes.

Pilot work has compiled a dataset of episodes of co-occurring hazards, including triplets, in the UKCP18 climate projections (1981-1999, 2061-2079) offering a secure start to the work. This PhD will be an inter-disciplinary, using expertise on meteorology and co-occurring hydro-meteorological hazards (Chen, Hillier, Bloomfield) and insurance industry knowledge (Brocklehurst). As flooding and wind risk are currently modelled separately in the insurance sector, a 1-2 month placement at Impact Forecasting is anticipated (London or Prague).

Entry requirements:

Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) in Geography, Environmental Science, Computer Science, or Engineering. A relevant master’s degree and/or experience is desirable.

English language requirements:

Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website

Funding information:

This studentship which is partially funded by NERC, provides a tax-free stipend of £20780 per annum (in 2025/26) and tuition fees at the UK rate for 3.5 years. It also provides a Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of £8,000. Due to UKRI funding rules, no more than 30% of the studentships funded by this grant can be awarded to International candidates, but successful International candidates will have the difference between the UK and International tuition fees provided by the University.

How to apply:

1. Complete a CENTA studentship application form in Word format (available from https://centa.ac.uk/apply/) under the ‘Our project-based studentships’ section on that page
2. All applications should be made online via the above ‘Apply’ button. Under Campus, please select ‘Loughborough’ and select the Programme ‘Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering’. Please quote the advertised reference number CENTA2026-LU02 in your online application.
   During the online application process please upload the CENTA studentship application form and a CV in addition to the other required minimum supporting documents.
3. Application closing date is midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 7 January 2026. Interviews for shortlisted candidates are expected to be held between Monday 2 February and Friday 13 February 2026.

Advert information