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Nicholas Leach

Postdoctoral Researcher, Climate Science, University of Oxford
I am a postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University, having recently completed my PhD as part of the Environmental Research Doctoral Training Partnership there. I reside in the Predictability of Weather and Climate research group, supervised by Antje Weisheimer and Myles Allen. My research explores the use of operational weather forecasting models within the field of extreme event attribution, with a particular focus on heat events and storms. This work touches on themes of numerical weather prediction, attribution of climate change, meteorological drivers of extreme weather and extreme value statistics.

I started out in climate change research during a summer research project (that I would later develop into my masters thesis) investigating a simple method for estimating the remaining global carbon budget. While this particular field is no longer my focus, I still remain involved, especially in the use and development of reduced complexity climate models.

I am also a climate scientist at Climate X, specialising in the quantifying the impact of climate change on storm systems globally. My role involves both assessing how to apply state-of-the art academic research to provide the detailed information on climate risk required by the financial industry, and coming up with novel ways that can improve upon more traditional ways of quantifying extreme weather risk from storm systems. I combine a variety of statistical methods and models with observational data and state-of-the-art physical climate and weather model simulations in my work, and am always interested in new approaches in this space, so if you’re an academic researching physical extreme weather risk and interested in working with industry, please get in touch!

Economy

Nations will release an extra 400 million barrels of oil to the market. All we need to do now is not panic at the pump

Despite being one of the worlds top exporters of fossil fuels (coal and gas), Australia has little left of its own oil. Neither does New Zealand. Both Australia and New Zealand sit at the end of a long supply chain for...

ANZ and Westpac Forecast Two RBA Rate Hikes in March and May 2026

ANZ has joined Westpac in predicting that the Reserve Bank of Australia will raise interest rates at both its March and May 2026 meetings. Analysts cite persistent inflation and a resilient labor market as the primary...

UK Housing Market Slows Amid Geopolitical Tensions and Mortgage Rate Fears

Britains housing market is showing signs of cooling as prospective buyers grow increasingly cautious in response to escalating geopolitical tensions and the threat of prolonged high mortgage rates. According to a recent...

Venezuela Names Paula Henao as New Oil Minister Amid U.S.-Led Industry Overhaul

Venezuelas acting President Delcy Rodriguez has appointed Paula Henao as the countrys new oil minister, marking a significant leadership shift as the South American nation undergoes a sweeping transformation of its energy...

IEA Releases Record 400 Million Barrels of Oil Amid U.S.-Iran War

The International Energy Agency has approved an unprecedented release of 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves held by its 32 member nations, marking the largest coordinated stockpile drawdown in the agencys...

Politics

After the Iran war, Persian Gulf nations face tough decisions on the US – a former diplomat explains

When the US-Israeli war on Iran finally ends, the Middle East will be even less predictable than it was before it started. The decision by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go to...

Trump Doubts Iran Mining Reports as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump cast doubt Wednesday on reports that Iran had placed naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most critical oil shipping routes. When pressed by reporters, Trump responded simply, We...

Bipartisan Housing Bill Advances in Senate, Aims to Tackle U.S. Affordability Crisis

In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, Republican and Democratic lawmakers are rallying behind sweeping legislation designed to address Americas growing affordable housing shortage. The Senate voted 84-10 in favor of a...

Trump Administration Launches Trade Investigations Against 16 Countries Over Industrial Overcapacity

The Trump administration has opened sweeping new trade investigations targeting 16 major trading partners, signaling a fresh push to restore tariff leverage after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key pillar of...

Pentagon Taps Wall Street Talent to Manage $200 Billion Defense Investment Fund

The Pentagon is assembling an elite 30-person team of investment professionals with private equity backgrounds to oversee an ambitious $200 billion defense investment initiative spanning three years, according to a Semafor...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Pokemon Pokopia Sells 2.2 Million Copies in Four Days, Boosting Nintendo Switch 2 Momentum

Nintendo has announced that its newly released life simulation game, Pokemon Pokopia, surpassed 2.2 million copies sold within just four days of launch a strong debut that is helping ease investor concerns surrounding the...

UK Regulators Demand Social Media Platforms Strengthen Children's Age Verification

Britains media and privacy regulators are turning up the heat on major social media companies, demanding stronger measures to prevent children from accessing platforms that were never designed for them. Ofcom and the...

Alphabet's GFiber Merges with Astound Broadband to Build Major U.S. Internet Provider

Alphabets fiber internet subsidiary GFiber is joining forces with Astound Broadband in a landmark merger set to reshape the U.S. broadband landscape. Astound, backed by infrastructure investment firm Stonepeak, will hold a...

Big Tech Turns to Debt Markets to Fund AI Infrastructure Boom

The worlds largest technology companies are increasingly tapping debt markets to bankroll their artificial intelligence ambitions, signaling a notable departure from Silicon Valleys traditional reliance on cash reserves....

Anduril Industries Acquires ExoAnalytic Solutions to Bolster Space Defense Capabilities

Anduril Industries has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ExoAnalytic Solutions, a national security firm specializing in space situational awareness and missile defense technology. The move signals Andurils...