The most extreme low pressure weather systems, known as windstorms, can have large impacts on society due to their damaging winds and heavy precipitation. In this project we investigate how climate change affects the characteristics of windstorms in northern Europe by using projections from a digital twin of Earth at unprecedented kilometer-scale resolution. A weather prediction model is then used to study the underlying causes of these changes. We also develop machine learning based models to predict the impact of these storms on the electrical grid and apply these tools to quantify the future risks of windstorms to the electricity network. Additionally, we estimate the future socio-economic losses from windstorms and explore the potential of economic mechanisms to mitigate their impacts. The research is performed in collaboration between the University of Helsinki and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

2025

2029