AbstractThe application of the finite‐element method to the simulation of meterological fluid flow problems is reviewed. Early studies were aimed primarily at demonstrating the viability of the method for one‐ and two‐dimensional flows, whereas more recent studies have been aimed at demonstrating the efficiency and viability of the method for more complex three‐dimensional simulations. There has also been a shift towards exploiting such models to better understand and predict the underlying meteorological phenomena, rather than restricting attention to the development of the alg