meteorology

“The links between meteorology and aviation go way, way back,” said Stacey Hitchcock, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

Virgin Australia, which cancelled all its flights to and from Bali on Wednesday, said in a statement: “Safety is always our highest priority, and our meteorology team is closely monitoring the situation.”

Lalas spent a formulative part of his childhood in Greece, where his father, Demetrius, a professor of mechanical engineering and meteorology, was director of the national observatory in Athens.

“Experts have talked about an absolutely unprecedented situation,” he said, citing the “abrupt nature of meteorology”.

The meteorology institute predicts the arrival of a mass of cold and dry air will reduce the chance of rain beginning Monday.