Over two days at the end of September 2025, the Royal Society in London hosted a dedicated event on ‘Global impacts of climate extremes in the polar regions: is Antarctica reaching a tipping point?’ (https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2025/09/polar-regions/). The occasion brought together experts from a range of disciplines, to discuss the fragility and global importance of Antarctica in a changing climate, with a particular emphasis on extremes. The consensus is that extremes in Antarctica play a big role in the timing of key events (e.g., ice shelf collapse) with implications both locally (e.g., on species distribution and abundance) and globally (e.g., sea level rise) to give just a couple of examples. Such events may yield irreversible consequences (hence ‘tipping points’) but there is still huge uncertainty that we as a community still need to work to unravel.

The agenda featured a series of overview talks on the current ‘State of Play’ from leaders in their respective fields, pitched to a general scientific audience, with further sessions on specific aspects including ‘Lessons from the past’, ‘Future projections and uncertainties’ and ‘Policy and societal requirements, and how they can be met’. Towards the end of each session, a panel discussion was held to engage the audience on addressing key issues (e.g., existing knowledge gaps and future research priorities needed). In addition to tea and coffee breaks, a poster session offered a chance for networking and particularly helped involve early career researchers. Poster presenters were also offered the chance to give a 2-minute flash talk to advertise and attract attention to their poster.

I presented a poster on the Antarctic weather extremes database I am currently building in ExtAnt, which I found to be of very broad interest at the meeting. The poster included information on the different data sources I’m using (observations and state-of-the art high-resolution model outputs), including the different variables available to me. I briefly explained the methodology in which I am identifying extremes, using language more accessible to non-specialists, and outlined the proposed content and structure of the database (which will be archived for others to use). I also shared an example of some ongoing scientific analysis looking into changes in extremes through time (2000-2020), according to preliminary output from the database. For context, I highlighted the different characteristics and impacts during the February 2020 heatwave that affected the Antarctic Peninsula, in which the highest temperature ever recorded on the continent occurred (18.3°C). I had many interesting conversations with people and received more specific requests from potential end-users. It was exciting to learn just how much others are looking forward to using the database in their work!

The event was hybrid and free to attend, even enticing a few members of the public to come along and ask questions. The organisers did a brilliant job putting together the programme and hosting the event! A standout aspect for me was session chairs opening the floor first to early career researchers for questions, which is perhaps something that should be adopted more widely at conferences. Not only can it be sometimes daunting to ask questions, but all too often more senior experts raise their hand immediately and/or repeatedly. And they perhaps know the speaker or session chair on a personal level, so unconscious bias can be a factor in who gets picked to ask their question.

Article written by Ryan Williams