Reinvigorating Weather Forecasting with AI

Let’s face it, the weather forecast is one of the biggest pet peeves of a modern person.

Weather forecasting requires exceptional data accuracy and precision to get a correct weather report, which is why it seems almost impossible to get perfect results. However, artificial intelligence proves otherwise.?

Unpredictable Weather Dynamics?

Evidently, accurate data is an essential part of meteorology. As visual support for weather forecasting in the past, AI has grown strong enough to take over the industry and predict weather on its own.

Why should we focus on the weather anyway? To me, the answer lies in today’s environmental crisis and the main hazards for businesses over the next ten years as defined by the World Economic Forum:

• Extreme weather?
• Climate action failure?
• Human-led environmental damage

To address these issues, businesses are calling for actionable environmental data based on intensive human input, data science skills, and computing power. Solving these problems became a lot easier with AI technology at hand.?

DeepMind’s ML Model?

Traditional machine learning models based on the Python framework have been improving weather forecasts for quite some time. However, a research laboratory DeepMind has challenged AI to take a step further and predict the weather with far greater accuracy than humans can.?

Their new machine learning model can foresee the rain within the next couple of hours. This AI-powered forecasting technology, aka precipitation nowcasting, predicts rainfall up to two hours ahead of a possible deluge with 89% accuracy. Seems intriguing enough, doesn’t it? Let’s delve into this new invention!

The model is based on radar imagery: the radar sends a beam into the atmosphere to time how long it takes to reflect, indicating the level of moisture in the clouds. When the moisture level is recorded as high, the likelihood of rain increases. FYI, the model was tested on radar imagery from the past records to ensure the most correct results.?

Still, there's room for improvement because of many blind spots in the weather forecasts, and machine learning is a feasible strategy to close this critical gap.?

Why DeepMind’s Model Matters

By infiltrating the weather industry, AI has been able to solve critical environmental problems (e.g., energy use, wildfire risks, greenhouse gas emissions) and assist in daily safeguarding scenarios, like road safety, air traffic control, and early-warning systems for flooding.?

DeepMind's revolutionary rain forecasting model turned out to be a real game-changer compared to its predecessors (like PySTEPS). This way, AI has reacted to the looming climate crisis by predicting rainfalls and storms with better accuracy and precision, so we can now make prompt and effective decisions in such alarming situations (e.g. slow driving or evacuation).?

IBM’s Environmental Action

Today, we can play it safe by handing the weather forecasting over to AI. The next most striking attempt was made by IBM. The company used AI and weather data to achieve sustainability objectives, thus making AI a socially and environmentally responsible actor.?

IBM is the first company to bring together AI, weather data, climate risk analytics, and carbon accounting. The idea was to help businesses adapt to highly disruptive environmental conditions like severe weather, wildfires, flooding, or air quality.??

AI-powered climate technology replaces cumbersome procedures of traditional weather forecasting. As IBM has announced a suite of environmental intelligence software, businesses can rest assured that their weather-related safety is under control. In doing so, AI helps many organizations worldwide prepare for environmental challenges and use the technology to eliminate their own damaging impact on the planet. I suppose this is something businesses have been striving to do for a while now.?

Microsoft’s Weather Prediction for Farmers?

Researchers from Microsoft came up with a new framework called DeepMC for an accurate prediction of local weather. ML and AI can now localize weather data to help individual farmers who used to rely on weather data from farther away to preserve their crops.?

DeepMC uses trained AI algorithms to pinpoint the discrepancy between local weather forecasts and microclimate weather conditions. The technology is actively embraced by farmers and renewable energy producers.

Microsoft’s invention receives its data straight from the APIs provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dark Sky, and the National Weather Service. This way, DeepMC outranks comparable models in terms of data accuracy for wind speed, solar radiation, soil moisture content, and temperature forecasts.

Changing the Weather with Artificial Rain?

AI proves to be not only effective for weather forecasting but also a viable method for reacting to climatic changes. Today, AI can also cause the rain itself. For example, it was used to fight a 50-degree heatwave and drought in Dubai. Protecting against, but now causing an actual weather event? Let’s get this straight.

Scientists from the UAE were brave enough to leverage AI for weather manipulations. And the efforts have been successful thus far. An AI-powered rainmaking drone technology allowed for the cloud seeding operation for potential drought mitigation with no need for harmful chemicals. By sending an electrical charge to the atmosphere, the drones made the clouds condense and, thus, caused the rain in the desert region.?

In the US, the same technology was used in a slightly different manner: the drones injected tiny quantities of silver iodide into the clouds to open the heavens. Despite the common fears and risks for flooding, let’s give credit to AI for ensuring water security and preserving life on the planet.

Why Should We Support AI Here?

With every story that I share with you, I can’t help but marvel at the power of artificial intelligence.

Climate change bears many potential risks for us as humans and as business owners. And today, meteorologists and those whose businesses depend on weather should favor AI above competing methods by a large margin. AI gives them more confidence and support while dealing with extreme weather events.?

The technology proves fundamental again and again for fighting adverse environmental issues by helping us adapt to unpredictable weather patterns. One might argue that AI is potentially saving our lives by upgrading weather forecasting. How does this news sound to you?