18 March 2026
Join us at this gathering of practitioners, researchers and policymakers for an evening of networking and presentations about historical floods and radar-based rainfall for hydrological modelling.
Our first speaker will look at a case study involving a reverse engineering approach to reconstruct the 1968 flooding that took place on the River Chew in Somerset and see how this can show how advanced modelling can improve flood risk assessment for historical flooding incidents with limited documentation and data.
The second presentation will review the accuracy of radar-based precipitation measurements for rainfall runoff modelling in the UK and compare the performance of hydrological models over a wide range of UK catchments.
Following the presentations, there will be an opportunity to continue networking after the event at a local pub.
Register for 18 March 2026
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Become a member17:30 – 17:55 | Reception and networking
17:55 – 18:00 Welcome and introduction
18:00 – 18:30 Presentation 1 | Reconstructing Historical Floods: A Reverse Engineering Approach on the River Chew in Somerset.
Professor Thomas Rodding Kjeldsen | Professor of Hydrology and Water Engineering | University of Bath
Understanding past flood events is important for anticipating future risks, yet their magnitudes are often unknown; either (1) because they predate systematic gauging or (2) they exceeded instrument capacity. This study introduces a novel reverse-engineering methodology to reconstruct the July 1968 flood on the River Chew by integrating hydraulic modelling with historical evidence. To address uncertainty, a Monte Carlo framework explores thousands of plausible scenarios using a calibrated HEC-RAS 2D model and an automated simulation tool. The approach demonstrates how combining historical data and advanced modelling can improve flood risk assessment for extreme, poorly documented events.
We will also introduce the HEC-RAS automation tool with details of how this might be applied to other case studies and purposes.
18:33 – 19:00 Presentation 2 | How accurate is radar‑based precipitation measurement for rainfall‑runoff modelling across Great Britain?
Dr Miguel Rico-Ramirez | Associate Professor of Radar Hydrology and Hydroinformatics | University of Bristol
Accurate precipitation measurements are essential for hydrological studies and applications such as rainfall‑runoff modelling and real‑time flood forecasting. Weather radar offers high‑resolution precipitation estimates over large areas, but its accuracy can be affected by several sources of error. Although many correction algorithms have been developed in the literature, residual errors often remain in radar precipitation measurements.
This presentation looks at the accuracy of radar‑based precipitation measurement for rainfall‑runoff modelling across Great Britain. We compare the performance of hydrological models driven by radar data with those using rain‑gauge observations over a wide range of GB catchments.
19:00 Close
Professor Thomas Rodding Kjeldsen | Professor of Hydrology and Water Engineering | University of Bath
Thomas Rodding Kjeldsen’s research focuses mainly on the use of mathematical and statistical modelling of environmental and hydrological systems, with emphasis on predicting extreme hydrological events such as floods and droughts.
He has worked on developing the UK industry standard methods for flood frequency analysis and aims to understand the effect of environmental change (climate change, urbanisation, land management) on water resource systems. He also conducts risk and uncertainty analysis of extreme events.
Dr Miguel Rico-Ramirez | Associate Professor of Radar Hydrology and Hydroinformatics | University of Bristol
Miguel Rico-Ramirez has over twenty years of experience working at the University of Bristol.
His research interests fall in the area of flood forecasting with radar and numerical weather prediction models for the real-time prediction and management of severe storms.
This event is open to members and non-members of CIWEM.
Please note there is limited capacity at this event. Bookings must be made through 'My CIWEM' using the above booking link. Non-members who have not registered for the MyCIWEM system can create an account on the booking page in order to reserve their place.
If you have any questions about your booking or would like to cancel your attendance, please contact branches@ciwem.org.
Please note that registrations close at 17:00 on Monday 16 March. If you have not registered by then, unfortunately we cannot add you to the event.
If you have any queries about this talk, please contact the British Hydrological Society’s South West & Wales Regional Group at bhs_southwest@outlook.com.
The event will take place at Arcadis office, Hodge House, Suite 4d, 4th Floor, 114 - 116 St Marys Street, Cardiff, CF10 1DY The venue is in easy walking distance (under eight-minutes’ walk) from Cardiff Central railway station and Cardiff Bus Interchange..
Travelling to the venue
As part of CIWEM’s commitment to tackling the climate and ecological emergency we would encourage delegates to use the most environmentally sustainable means of transport possible.
By Train
Cardiff Central railway station is the nearest mainline railway stations to the Arcadis offices and is located in Central Square, CF10 1EP. The station is managed by Transport for Wales and is on the main South Wales line with Great Western trains running into the city from Swansea, Bristol, Bath and London Paddington and Cross Country trains running from Gloucester, Birmingham an Nottingham for those travelling in from outside the city.
By Bus | Coach | Tram
There are several bus routes that run into the Cardiff Bus Interchange, which is located at 11 Central Square, off Wood Street, near Cardiff Central railway station and the Principality Stadium. Buses and coaches running services into the bus interchange are: National Express, Stagecoach, Newport, EST, First Cymru and Cross City bus services, which serve routes running across the city, as well as those serving those who are coming from outside Cardiff.
By foot | cycle
The Arcadis office is a seven to eight-minute -minute walk from Cardiff Central railway station and the Cardiff Bus Interchange. It takes about three-minutes to cycle from either the Cardiff Central railway station or the Cardiff Bus Interchange.
By car
If you are coming by car or taxi, please consider sharing the journey with others to reduce your environmental footprint.
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