Over the last 20 years, we have dramatically improved hydrometeorological data including isotopes, but are we making the most of this data? Stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in the water molecule (stable water isotopes - SWI) are well known tracers of the global hydrological cycle producing critical climate science. Despite this, stable water isotopes are not explicitly included in influential climate reports (e.g. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC) except for paleoclimate reconstructions. Continuous developments in modelling approaches have now made isotope-enabled modelling of climate and hydrology more powerful and easier to perform, reducing prediction uncertainty and providing more robust simulations. We argue that it is time to incorporate stable water isotopes and isotope-enabled modelling into mainstream hydroclimatic forecasting with the prospect of vastly improving climate change predictions and evidence.
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