Mr Zilitinkevich was cited for his “ground-breaking inventions in the physics of turbulence and atmospheric boundary layers, which principally advanced our knowledge of the Earth system, endorsed progress in weather and air-quality prediction, and gave rise to novel climate services.” The IMO Prize is the most important award in meteorology. It honours individuals for their outstanding contributions to the field of meteorology, hydrology, climatology or related fields. Established in 1955, it is named after the predecessor of the World Meteorological Organization, the International Meteorological Organization (IMO). Read more here.