Christel Prudhomme

Team Leader Hydrological Monitoring and Forecasting
Forecast, Evaluation, Hydrology Monitoring and Forecast

Summary:

Christel Prudhomme is a Principal Sectoral Expert leading the Hydrological Monitoring and Forecasting team in the Evaluation Section. She leads the hydrological monitoring and forecasting activities of ECMWF, aiming to improve hydrological predictions and create user-tailored products. She lead the Hydrological Forecast Computation Centre of the Copernicus Emergency Service and is responsible for the operational maintenance and delivery of its Early Warning Systems on floods, the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) and the Global Flood Awareness Systems (GloFAS), that are co-developed with the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Those systems deliver flood forecasts across Europe (restricted to EFAS partners) and the world, with lead times ranging from days (EFAS only), medium-range to sub-seasonal and seasonal time scales. Her activities also include all aspects of project management, liaison with funders (JRC) and partners, and scientific leadership. 

Professional interests:
  • Operational hydrological monitoring and forecasting at short, medium and seasonal range
  • Forecast evaluation, skill assessment and uncertainty quantification
  • Multi-model ensemble forecasts
  • Improvement of communication and delivery of hydrological forecast products to end-users
  • Scientific leadership
  • Team leadership
  • Project management
Career background:

Prior to joining ECMWF in April 2017, Christel worked for over 20 years at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, then a research institute of the UK National Environmental Research Council. She was in charge of research to study, understand and model the development in time and space of hydrological extremes (floods and droughts) across spatial scales (from local to global). One of the focus of her research was to assess their associated uncertainty and to quantifying the impact of climate variability and change on the hydrological processes.

She was the Principal Investigator of one of the water Sectoral Information System 'proof-of-concept'  project (EDgE), delivering a prototype multi-model system for hydrological seasonal prediction and climate change impact assessment for the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Christel also lead the development and operational delivery of the Ensemble Streamflow Prediction system, contributing to the UK Hydrological Outlook and the Environmental Agency for England and Wales 'Water situation Report'.

External recognitions
  • Visiting professor at Loughbourough University (2015-2023)
  • Member of GEWEX Hydroclimate Panel (Sep 2015-2017)
  • Core member of the European Drought Centre (2007-date)
  • Member British Hydrological Society (1996-date)
  • Member UNESCO-IHP FRIEND (1992-date)
  • Member IAHS