The Royal Meteorological Society is a long-established institution that promotes academic and public engagement in weather and climate science. Fellows of the Society must possess relevant qualifications, but Associate Fellows can be lay enthusiasts. Its Quarterly Journal is one of the world's leading sources of original research in the atmospheric sciences. The

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

is Liz Bentley.

Constitution

The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as "a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general". Along with nine others, including

James Glaisher James Glaisher FRS (7 April 1809 – 7 February 1903) was an English meteorologist, aeronaut and astronomer. Biography Born in Rotherhithe, the son of a London watchmaker, Glaisher was a junior assistant at the Cambridge Observatory from ...

, John Drew,

Edward Joseph Lowe Edward Joseph Lowe FRS FGS FRAS FLS (11 November 1825 – 10 March 1900) was a renowned English botanist, meteorologist and astronomer, who published papers on a wide variety of subjects, including luminous meteors, sunspots, the zodiacal li ...

, The Revd Joseph Bancroft Reade, and

Samuel Charles Whitbread Samuel Charles Whitbread (16 February 1796 – 27 May 1879) was a British Member of Parliament, member of the Whitbread brewing family and founding president of the Royal Meteorological Society. Early life and education Whitbread was the so ...

, Dr John Lee, an astronomer, of Hartwell House, near

Aylesbury Aylesbury ( ) is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery, David Tugwell`s house on Watermead and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wy ...

, Buckinghamshire founded in the library of his house the British Meteorological Society, which became the Royal Meteorological Society. It became The Meteorological Society in 1866, when it was incorporated by

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

, and the Royal Meteorological Society in 1883, when Her Majesty

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

granted the privilege of adding 'Royal' to the title. Along with 74 others, the famous meteorologist

Luke Howard Luke Howard, (28 November 1772 – 21 March 1864) was a British manufacturing chemist and an amateur meteorologist with broad interests in science. His lasting contribution to science is a nomenclature system for clouds, which he proposed i ...

joined the original 15 members of the Society at its first ordinary meeting on 7 May 1850. As of 2008 it has more than 3,000 members worldwide. The chief executive of the Society is Professor Liz Bentley. Paul Hardaker previously served as chief executive from 2006 to 2012.

Membership

There are four membership categories: * Honorary Fellow * Fellow (FRMetS) * Associate Fellow * Corporate member

Awards

The society regularly awards a number of medal and prizes, of which the

Symons Gold Medal The Symons Gold Medal is awarded biennially by the Royal Meteorological Society for distinguished work in the field of meteorological science. It was established in 1901 in memory of George James Symons, a notable British meteorologist. Recipients ...

(established in 1901) and the Mason Gold Medal (established in 2006) are pre-eminent. The two medals are awarded alternately. Other awards include the Buchan Prize, the Hugh Robert Mill Award, the L F Richardson Prize, the Michael Hunt Award, the Fitzroy Prize, the Gordon Manley Weather Prize, the International Journal of Climatology Prize, the Society Outstanding Service Award and the Vaisala Award.

Journals

The society has a number of regular publications: * '' Atmospheric Science Letters'': a monthly magazine that provides a peer reviewed publication route for new shorter contributions in the field of atmospheric and closely related sciences. * ''

Weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...

'': a monthly magazine with many full colour illustrations and photos for specialists and general readers with an interest in meteorology. It uses a minimum of mathematics and technical language. * ''

Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society The ''Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of meteorology published eight times per year. It was established in 1871 as ''Bibliography of Meteorological Literature'', obtaining its current na ...

'': as one of the world's leading journals for meteorology publishes original research in the atmospheric sciences. There are eight issues per year. * ''

Meteorological Applications ''Meteorological Applications'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of meteorology published four times per year since 1994. It is published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the Royal Meteorological Society. Abstracting and indexing The journ ...

'': this is a journal for applied meteorologists, forecasters and users of meteorological services and has been published since 1994. It is aimed at a general readership and authors are asked to take this into account when preparing papers. * ''

International Journal of Climatology The ''International Journal of Climatology'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research in the field of climatology. Established in 1981, the journal is published 15 times per year by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Royal Meteorol ...

'': has 15 issues a year and covers a broad spectrum of research in climatology. * '' WIREs Climate Change'': a journal about climate change * ''

Geoscience Data Journal Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four sphere ...

'': an online, open-access journal. All publications are available online but a subscription is required for some. However certain "classic" papers are freely available on the Society's website.

Local centres and special interest groups

The society has several local centres across the UK. There are also a number of special interest groups which organise meetings and other activities to facilitate exchange of information and views within specific areas of meteorology. These are informal groups of professionals interested in specific technical areas of the profession of meteorology. The groups are primarily a way of communicating at a specialist level.

Presidents

Source: * 1850–1853:

, first time * 1853–1855: George Leach * 1855–1857:

John Lee John Lee may refer to: Academia * John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society * John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal * John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English ...

* 1857–1858:

Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS HFRSE FRSA Doctor of Civil Law, DCL (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railway ...

* 1859–1860:

Thomas Sopwith Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, CBE, Hon FRAeS (18 January 1888 – 27 January 1989) was an English aviation pioneer, businessman and yachtsman. Early life Sopwith was born in Kensington, London, on 18 January 1888. He was the e ...

* 1861–1862:

Nathaniel Beardmore Nathaniel Beardmore (19 March 1816 – 24 August 1872) was a British civil engineer known for his textbook on hydraulic engineering, and his work on water projects associated with the River Lea. Life and career Beardmore was born on 19 March ...

* 1863–1864:

Robert Dundas Thomson Dr Robert Dundas Thomson FRSE FRS FRCP FCS (21 September 1810 – 17 August 1864) was a British physician and chemist and a pioneer of public sanitation. He worked as an academic, medical officer of health and author. Life He was the son ...

, died in office * 1864:

, second time * 1865–1866: Charles Brooke * 1867–1868:

* 1869–1870:

Charles Vincent Walker Charles Vincent Walker FRS (20 March 1812 – 24 December 1882) was an English electrical engineer and publisher, a major influence on the development of railway telecommunications, he was also the first person to send a submarine telegraph sign ...

* 1871–1872:

John William Tripe John William Tripe (26 February 1821 – 7 April 1892) was an English physician of the Victorian era and President of the Royal Meteorological Society (1871–72). Tripe was born in London in 1821, one of 11 children born to Mary ''née'' Broad ...

* 1873–1875:

Robert James Mann Robert James Mann (1817–1886) was an English physician and science writer. Life The son of James Mann of Norwich, he was born there in 1817, and educated for the medical profession at University College, London. At the hospital connected with ...

* 1876–1877: Henry Storks Eaton * 1878–1879:

Charles Greaves Charles Greaves M Inst CE FGS FRSA (1816–1883), eldest son of Charles Greaves (d. 1829), was born in Great Amwell, Hertfordshire on 19 October 1816. He was articled to J. M. Rendel, a civil engineer in Plymouth from 1831 to 1837. He was in ...

* 1880–1881:

George James Symons George James Symons FRS (6 August 1838 – 10 March 1900) was a British meteorologist who founded and managed the ''British Rainfall Organisation'', an unusually dense and widely distributed network of rainfall data collection sites throughout ...

, first time * 1882–1883: Sir John Knox Laughton * 1884–1885: Robert Henry Scott * 1886–1887: William Ellis * 1888–1889: William Marcet * 1890–1891:

Baldwin Latham Baldwin is a Germanic name, composed of the elements ''bald'' "bold" and ''win'' "friend". People * Baldwin (name) Places Canada * Baldwin, York Regional Municipality, Ontario * Baldwin, Ontario, in Sudbury District * Baldwin's Mills, ...

* 1892–1893: Charles Theodore Williams, first time * 1894–1895: Richard Inwards * 1896–1897: Edward Mawley * 1898–1899:

Francis Campbell Bayard Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome * Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural ...

* 1900:

, second time; died in office * 1900: Charles Theodore Williams, second time * 1901–1902:

William Henry Dines William Henry Dines BA FRS (5 August 1855 – 24 December 1927) was an English meteorologist. Dines was born in London, the son of George Dines, also a meteorologist. He was educated at Woodcote House School, Windlesham, and afterwards entere ...

* 1903–1904: Captain David W. Barker * 1905–1906: Richard Bentley * 1907–1908: Hugh Robert Mill * 1910–1911:

Henry Mellish Henry Mellish FRGS, CB (31 October 1856 – 2 February 1927) was known for his participation in competitive rifle shooting and meteorology. He inherited the Hodsock Priory estate in 1864 upon the death of his father William Leigh Mellish. He was ...

* 1911–1912: Henry Newton Dickson * 1913–1914: Charles John Philip Cave, first time * 1915–1917: Sir

Henry George Lyons Colonel Sir Henry George Lyons FRS (11 October 1864 – 10 August 1944) was a British geologist and director of the Science Museum in London. Henry Lyons was born in London, the son of General Thomas Lyons. Lyons was educated at Wellingto ...

* 1918–1919: Sir

Napier Shaw Sir William Napier Shaw (4 March 1854 – 23 March 1945) was a British meteorologist. He introduced the tephigram, a diagram for evaluating convective instability in the atmosphere. He also served as president of the International Meteorological ...

* 1920–1921: Reginald Hawthorn Hooker * 1922–1923:

Charles Chree file:Charles Chree.jpg, 200px, Charles Chree (circa 1900) Charles Chree, FRS (5 May 1860 – 12 August 1928) was a UK, British physicist, an authority on terrestrial magnetism and atmospheric electricity, and for 32 years Superintendent of Kew Ob ...

* 1924–1925: Charles John Philip Cave, second time * 1926–1927: Sir

Gilbert Walker Gilbert Walker may refer to: * Gilbert Walker (cricketer) (1888–1952), English cricketer *Gilbert Walker (physicist) (1868–1958), English physicist *Gilbert Carlton Walker Gilbert Carlton Walker (August 1, 1833 – May 11, 1885) was a Unit ...

* 1928–1929:

Richard Gregory Richard Langton Gregory (24 July 1923 – 17 May 2010) was a British psychologist and Professor of Neuropsychology at the University of Bristol. Life and career Richard Gregory was born in London. He was the son of Christopher Clive Langt ...

* 1930–1931: Rudolf Gustav Karl Lempfert * 1932–1933: Sydney Chapman * 1934–1935: Ernest Gold * 1936–1937:

Francis John Welsh Whipple Francis John Welsh Whipple ScD FInstP (17 March 1876 – 25 September 1943) was an English mathematician, meteorologist and seismologist. From 1925 to 1939, he was superintendent of the Kew Observatory. Biography Whipple was the son of Kew Obse ...

* 1938–1939: Sir Bernard A. Keen * 1940–1941: Sir George Clarke Simpson * 1942–1944:

David Brunt Sir David Brunt, KBE, FRS (17 June 1886 – 5 February 1965) was a Welsh meteorologist. He was Professor of Meteorology at Imperial College, London from 1934 to 1952. He was Vice-President of the Royal Society from 1949 to 1957. The Brunt Ice ...

* 1945–1946:

Gordon Manley Gordon Valentine Manley, FRGS (3 January 1902 – 29 January 1980) was a British climatologist who has been described as "probably the best known, most prolific and most expert on the climate of Britain of his generation". He assembled the Centra ...

* 1947–1949: G. M. B. Dobson * 1949–1951: Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt * 1951–1953: Sir Charles Normand * 1953–1955: Sir

Graham Sutton Sir Oliver Graham Sutton CBE FRS (4 February 1903 – 26 May 1977) was a Welsh mathematician and meteorologist, notable particularly for theoretical work on atmospheric diffusion, boundary layer turbulence, and for his direction of the UK Mete ...

* 1955–1957: Reginald Sutcliffe * 1957–1959:

Percival Albert Sheppard Professor Percival Albert "Peter" Sheppard CBE FRS (12 May 1907 – 22 December 1977) was a Meteorologist at Imperial College, London from 1952 to 1974 and thereafter emeritus professor. He was born in Box, Wiltshire and was educated at City of ...

* 1959–1961: James Martin Stagg * 1961–1963: Howard Latimer Penman * 1963–1965: John Stanley Sawyer * 1965–1967: G. D. Robinson * 1967–1968: F.

Kenneth Hare Fredrick Kenneth Hare, (February 5, 1919 – September 3, 2002) was a Canadian climatologist and academic, who researched atmospheric carbon dioxide, climate change, drought, and arid zone climates and was a strong advocate for preserving the natu ...

* 1968–1970: John Mason * 1970–1972: Frank Pasquill * 1972–1974: Robert B. Pearce * 1974–1976:

Raymond Hide Raymond Hide CBE FRS (17 May 1929 – 6 September 2016) was a British physicist, who was a professor of physics at the University of Oxford and, since 2000, senior research investigator at Imperial College, London. Life Hide was educated at Per ...

* 1976–1978:

John T. Houghton Sir John Theodore Houghton (30 December 1931 – 15 April 2020) was a Welsh atmospheric physicist who was the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) scientific assessment working group which shared the Nobel Peace P ...

* 1978–1980:

John Monteith John Lennox Monteith DSc, FRS (3 September 1929 – 20 July 2012) was a British scientist who pioneered the application of physics to biology. He was an authority in the related fields of water management for agricultural production, soil phys ...

* 1980–1982: Philip Goldsmith * 1982–1984: Henry Charnock * 1984–1986: Andrew Gilchrist * 1986–1988:

Richard S. Scorer Richard Segar Scorer (30 August 1919 – 21 May 2011) was a British meteorologist. He was a contributor to the theory on mountain waves. Scorer also worked on the cloud physics and his exchanges with the American meteorologist Joanne Simpson hel ...

* 1988–1990:

Keith Anthony Browning Keith Anthony Browning (born 31 July 1938) is a British meteorologist who worked at Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the University of Reading departments of meteorology. His work with Frank Ludlam on the supercell thunderstorm at W ...

* 1990–1992: Stephen Austen Thorpe * 1992–1994: Paul James Mason * 1994–1996:

John E. Harries John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

* 1996–1998: David J. Carson * 1998–2000: Sir

Brian Hoskins Professor Sir Brian John Hoskins, CBE FRS, (born 17 May 1945) is a British dynamical meteorologist and climatologist based at the Imperial College London and the University of Reading. A mathematician by training, his research has focused on ...

* 2000–2002: David Burridge * 2002–2004: Howard Cattle * 2004–2006: Chris Collier * 2006–2008: Geraint Vaughan * 2008–2010:

Julia Slingo Dame Julia Mary Slingo (''née'' Walker; born 13 December 1950) is a British meteorologist and climate scientist. She was Chief Scientist at the Met Office from 2009 until 2016. She is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Meteorol ...

* 2010–2012:

Tim Palmer Timothy J. Palmer (born 4 October 1962, in North Shields) is an English record producer, audio engineer, guitarist and songwriter of rock music, rock and alternative rock, alternative music. He Audio mixing (recorded music), mixed Pearl Jam's d ...

* 2012–2014:

Joanna Haigh Joanna Dorothy Haigh (born 7 May 1954) is a British physicist and academic. Before her retirement in 2019 she was Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Imperial College London, and co-director of the Grantham Institute – Climate Change and En ...

* 2014–2016: Jennie Campbell * 2016–2018: Ellie Highwood * 2018–2020:

David Warrilow David Warrilow (28 December 1934 – 17 August 1995) was an English actor best known as one of the "finest interpreters of Samuel Beckett’s work".Cited in Ackerley, C.J., and Gontarski, Stan, ''The Grove Companion to Samuel Beckett'', New Yor ...

* 2020–2022: David Griggs

Notable fellows

* John Farrah (1849–1907).

References

External links

The RMetS website

UK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison Committee (ADMLC) web site
{{authority control Meteorological societies Meteorological Scientific organisations based in the United Kingdom Atmospheric dispersion modeling Climatological research organizations Climate of the United Kingdom Geographic societies Learned societies of the United Kingdom Scientific organizations established in 1850 1850 establishments in the United Kingdom