Andrew B. Watkins

(He/Him)

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  • Adjunct Professor (Practice) in the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University

Dr. Andrew Watkins’ passion is matching world class science with clear communication to help people make the best decisions to reduce risk.

His PhD on sea ice and its influence on Antarctic weather and climate meant he not only visited the southern continent twice, but was introduced to the complexities of using, modifying and analysing dynamical global climate models.

His post-doc at the Co-Operative Research Centre for Southern Hemisphere Meteorology at Monash University involved researching decadal climate cycles and ways to better initialise weather forecast models. Andrew joined the Bureau of Meteorology in 1999, headed its long-range forecast team from 2012-2023, before switching his focus to climate change and its impacts, leading the delivery of the climate science component of Australia's first National Climate Risk Assessment. After leaving the Australian Climate Service in 2025, he was appointed as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University. In 2026 he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, and made a Climate Councillor with the Climate Council.

Andrew has served on several U.N World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expert teams on climate matters, was a key contributor to WMO El Nino/La Nina Statements, and has been a co-editor of the annual Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society's Status of the Climate reports. He was also editor, then editor-in-chief, of the Bulletin of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.

Since 2019, he has supervised (pro bono) students in Monash University's Global Challenges program, looking at early warnings for climate risks. One of his proudest scientific achievements was working alongside the Papua New Guinea National Weather Service and the World Meteorological Organization to build a drought early warning system for PNG that will ultimately save lives.

Experience

  • 2025–present
    Adjunct professor, School of Earth Atmosphere & Environment, Monash University
  • 2023–2025
    Delivery Team Leader - National Climate Risk Assessment, Australian Climate Service
  • 2012–2023
    Head of Climate Prediction, Bureau of Meteorology
  • 1999–2012
    Climatologist, Senior Climatologist, Bureau of Meteorology
  • 2002–2007
    Editor, Editor-in-chief, Australian Meteorological & Oceanographic Society
  • 1998–1999
    Researcher, Co-Operative Research Centre for Southern Hemisphere Meteorology
  • 1994–1994
    Research assistant, Australian Antarctic Division

Education

  • 1998 
    University of Melbourne, PhD (Climate Science)

Publications

  • 2015
    Seasonal Forecasting for Australia using a Dynamical Model: Improvements in Forecast Skill over the Operational Statistical Model, Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Journal
  • 2010
    Assessing the Climate Response to Major Surface Inundation: Lake Eyre, Australia, Environment Science and Engineering
  • 2004
    Ensemble prediction of blocking regime transitions, Tellus
  • 2000
    Current Trends in Antarctic Sea Ice: The 1990s Impact on a Short Climatology, Journal of Climate

Professional Memberships

  • Fellow, Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
  • Member, Royal Society of Victoria

Research Areas

  • Climatology (Excl. Climate Change Processes) (040105)
  • Climate Change Processes (040104)

Honours

William 'Bill' Gibbs Medal for career operational excellence, Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society

Contact Andrew for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration