Debbie Hudson

Principal Research Scientist

Current work and responsibilities

My research focuses on multi-week (sub-seasonal) and seasonal climate prediction. I am particularly interested in how forecast initialization and ensemble design affects forecast skill; the sources of multi-week predictability; the ability to predict extremes; forecast verification; developing forecast products and interfacing to applications. A key component of my work involves leading research and development projects and interacting with internal and external stakeholders.

I am heavily involved in the progression of the Bureau's seasonal forecast system and products from R&D into operations and services. I have developed and assessed aspects of the initialisation and ensemble generation schemes, which have been integral to successive system upgrades. I have led major externally funded multi-week prediction projects that have laid the foundation for the Bureau's movement into multi-week prediction and the prediction of extremes. I am currently involved in leading the development and verification of forecast products based on ACCESS-S, the Bureau's next generation seasonal prediction system.

Operational Seasonal Climate Outlooks
Seasonal Prediction R&D website

Career background

Education

• 1993: University of Cape Town, B.Sc.(Hons)
• 1999: University of Cape Town, PhD (climatology)

Professional positions

• 1999–2000: Lecturer, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, South Africa
• 2000–2002: Research Scientist, Hadley Centre, UK Met Office, United Kingdom
• 2003–present: Various levels of scientist, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia

Selected publications

• Hudson, D. and Marshall, A.G. (2016) Extending the Bureau's heatwave forecast to multi-week timescales. Bureau Research Report, No. 16. Bureau of Meteorology, Australia
• Hudson, D., Marshall, A., Alves, O., Shi, L., Young, G. (2015) Forecasting upcoming extreme heat on multi-week to seasonal timescales: POAMA experimental forecast products. Bureau Research Report, No. 1. Bureau of Meteorology, Australia.
• Marshall, A.G., Hudson, D., Wheeler, M., Alves,O., Hendon, H.H., Pook, M.J. and Risbey, J.S. (2014) Intra-seasonal drivers of extreme heat over Australia in observations and POAMA-2. Climate Dynamics. 43: 1915-1937
• Hudson, D., Marshall, A.G., Yin, Y., Alves, O., Hendon, H.H. (2013) Improving intraseasonal prediction with a new ensemble generation strategy. Monthly Weather Review, 141: 4429-4449.
• Hudson, D., Alves O., Hendon H.H., Marshall A.G. (2011) Bridging the Gap between Weather and Seasonal Forecasting: Intraseasonal Forecasting for Australia. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 137:673-689.
• Hudson, D., Alves, O., Hendon, H.H. and Wang, G. (2011) The impact of atmospheric initialisation on seasonal prediction of tropical Pacific SST. Climate Dynamics. 36:1155-1171.