Mike Kendon

Areas of expertise:

• UK weather and climate

• Climate data analysis

• Software development for climate monitoring systems (python, sql, git, javascript)

• Geographical information systems GIS and gridding

• Hydrology and hydrometeorology

• Communication and presentation of UK climate data including web content

My Publications - Kendon, M

Email [email protected]

Current activities

Mike's work is in developing and maintaining climate monitoring software, products and systems. This includes the Climate Grid software which is used to generate the HadUK-Grid dataset of gridded climate data for the UK, and associated climate monitoring products. Mike developed an automated process for extraction of station data from the Met Office midas database of historical climate observations, which forms a key part of this system. The HadUK-Grid dataset is the principal data source for monitoring the UK's climate based on the land network of weather stations, with monthly temperature extending back to 1884 and monthly rainfall back to 1836.

Mike has been the lead author of the annual State of the UK Climate reports, published as a Special Supplement to the International Journal of Climatology since 2017.

Mike has also developed a new format Daily Weather Summary, in production since 2017, and other tools and systems for monitoring UK climate extremes to provide context against long-term observational records. 

Mike analyses noteworthy weather events affecting the UK such as droughts, floods, storms, heatwaves and severe winter weather. These events are placed into historical context using station data and the UK’s HadUK-Grid dataset. Mike writes summaries of recent severe weather events.

Colleagues in the Met Office who make use of this information include the Press Office, Operations Centre, Climate Research and Chief Scientist. External customers for reports and observational datasets include the Environment Agency, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and the Royal Meteorological Society, among others. Examples of recent publications are given below.

Recent Publications

Kendon, M. and McCarthy, M. (2021) The United Kingdom's wettest day on record – so far – October 3, 2020. Weather. 76: 316-319. https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.3910.

Kendon, M., McCarthy, M., Jevrejeva, S., Matthews, A., Sparks, T., & Garforth, J. (2021). State of the UK Climate 2020. International Journal of Climatology, 41 ( Suppl. 2), 1– 76. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.7285

Kendon, M., McCarthy, M., Jevrejeva, S., Matthews, A., Sparks, T. and Garforth, J. (2020), State of the UK Climate 2019. Int J Climatol, 40: 1-69. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6726

Kendon, M., Sexton, D. and McCarthy, M. (2020), A temperature of 20°C in the UK winter: a sign of the future? Weather, 75: 318-324. https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.3811

Kendon, M, McCarthy, M, Jevrejeva, S, Matthews, A, Legg, T. State of the UK climate 2018. Int J Climatol. 2019; 39 ( Suppl. 1): 1– 55. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.6213

Kendon, M, McCarthy, M, Jevrejeva, S, Matthews, A, Legg, T. State of the UK climate 2017. Int J Climatol. 2018; 38 (Suppl. 2): 1– 35. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.5798

Career background

Mike has been working for the Met Office National Climate Information Centre since 2009.

Mike graduated with an MSc in Hydrology for Environmental Management from Imperial College, London in 2004.

Mike graduated with an MEng Engineering from Cambridge University in 1996.

Before joining the Met Office, Mike spent 3 years as a hydrologist for a Civil Engineering Consultancy, primarily working on hydrological assessments for flood risk management and water resource studies for the Environment Agency. He has previously worked as an engineer for several years in the construction industry, both on site and in the design office.

Mike's particular interest is in mountain weather and climate.