NOTE: THIS EVENT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE.
Register and the Microsoft Teams meeting link to join online will be provided in your 'Registration Confirmation' email.
OUR PRESENTER
Caitlin Minney is an Australian senior climatologist at the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and a climate researcher.
Caitlin frequently serves as a public spokesperson for the BOM, providing expert analysis on long-range forecasts, seasonal outlooks, and major climate drivers like El Niño, global warming, and the Indian Ocean Dipole.
🎓 ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Caitlin Minney is deeply embedded in atmospheric and earth sciences at the University of Melbourne, where her academic history includes:
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): Enrolled as a PhD candidate in Earth Sciences starting in 2026.
- Master of Science (Earth Science): Completed with First Class Honours (2020–2022), focusing her research on tracking carbon monoxide emissions from biomass burning during Australia's catastrophic 2019–2020 "Black Summer" bushfires.
- Bachelor of Science (Physics): Completed from 2016–2019.
🌦️ PROFESSIONAL FOCUS & MEDIA COMMENTARY
In her role at the Bureau of Meteorology, she translates complex climate modeling data into actionable information for the Australian public. Key areas she has publicly addressed include:
- Climate Drivers: Explaining how the combination of developing El Niño systems and positive Indian Ocean Dipoles create drier conditions and heightened maximum temperatures across eastern and southern Australia.
- Record Temperatures: Providing data-backed contexts for significant historical milestones, such as analyzing the climate drivers that positioned 2023 as equal eighth warmest year on record for Australia.
- Seasonal Guidance: Delivering outlooks that help agricultural sectors, winter tourism industries, and fire emergency services prepare for unexpected seasonal shifts, including unusual winter heat waves or sudden Southern Ocean cold fronts.
IN THE NEWS
- BOM winter forecast predicts unusually warm season as El Niño increasingly likely. ABC News. 21 May 2026.
- The incoming ‘super’ El Niño will create chaos around the world – and we are far from ready for it. The Guardian. 15 September 2026.
- ‘Jaw-dropping’ El Niño bursts through temperature record months before peak. The Guardian. 21 September 2026.
- ‘Flash droughts’ on the cards as super El Nino intensifies. The Financial Review. 25 September 2026.
- El Nino expected to have minimal impact on Australia. The Western Producer. 26 September 2026.
- Australian scientists develop world-first satellite technology to measure eucalypt flammability. ABC News. 27 September 2026.
- El Niño nears record levels as ocean conditions tilt in unfavourable direction for eastern Australia. Renew Economy. 1 October 2026.
- How can the same El Niño cause drought in one part of the world and floods in another? The Conversation. 30 September 2026.