On the 6th of January this year, esteemed Irish meteorologist Professor J. Ray Bates “peacefully” passed away “in the tender care of Blackrock Hospice” following a short illness according to his family.
Dr. Bates, who was born on the 24th of October 1940 in Dublin, had a storied and illustrious career, receiving his PhD in Meteorology from MIT.
He formerly served as the Assistant Director of Met Éireann, as well as the Branch Head of the Laboratory for Atmospheres at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, the Emeritus Professor of Meteorology at the University of Copenhagen, and Adjunct Professor of Meteorology at UCD.
Following his passing, Met Éireann issued a statement honouring his “life and achievements.”
“Met Éireann’s esteemed colleague Prof Bates was a distinguished meteorologist and climate scientist, and a pioneer in the fields of atmospheric dynamics and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP),” the statement read.
“Prof. Bates made significant contributions to the understanding of the dynamics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere and played a crucial role in developing NWP for operational weather forecasting.”
They added: “He was a respected and influential voice in the scientific community, as well as a mentor and friend to many colleagues and students. His rigour and passion for science are well known…and will always be remembered.”
A relative told Gript that Bates’ passing “is a great loss to his family, friends and the scientific community,” while a statement on his official website reads that he is “Sadly missed by his loving wife Natasha.”
“Predeceased by his late wife Zaira in 2003. Deeply mourned by his siblings, Trish, Eugene, Billy, Declan, Kathleen, Dick and Margaret; his step-son Alex, Zaira’s daughters Elena and Natasha, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and the extended Bates family in Wexford.”
Bates was noted for his view that climate science had become “very politicised,” and for his refusal to “go along with the view” the world was experiencing a “climate emergency,” saying that climate change was more of a “long-term threat” than an immediate one.
“Anybody who steps outside the standard narrative hs to be prepared for vilification perhaps, perhaps threats,” Bates said in a 2021 interview with Gript, telling a story of how he was “threatened face to face” for his research.
“Somebody said to me ‘You’re a disgrace and I’ll get you,’ and I had two witnesses to that,” he said.
“And I think that’s an unfair thing to say to a scientist.”
He added: “I have no vested interest in this area – I’m only trying to stand for the truth.”
Gript’s Senior Political Correspondent, Ben Scallan, who met Bates at his home in October 2021, said: “Professor Bates was a gentleman with incredible courage, which he displayed by expressing contentious scientific views in the face of backlash. He was an honest man, a genuine truth-seeker, and a model of what all good scientists should aspire to. I was deeply saddened to hear of Professor Bates’ passing, and would like to offer my sincerest prayers and condolences to his lovely wife Natasha, his family and his friends during this trying time.”