Google DeepMind will now use its latest artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict the presence of tropical cyclones before they form. They are working with the US National Hurricane Center to support forecasts and warnings for the upcoming hurricane season.
To make the data accessible again, Weather Labs was launched with an AI model that can predict the formation, path, strength, size and shape of hurricanes and generate 50 possible scenarios up to 15 days ahead.
When the model was tested on real-world data, it predicted the path of hurricanes Jude and Ivone in the Indian Ocean seven days ahead. This is another success for DeepMind, which previously launched the GenCast weather forecasting model that can also predict up to 15 days ahead, which is better than the GraphCast forecast which is only up to 10 days.
Tropical cyclones have caused up to $1.4 trillion in damage over the past 50 years. Accurate early predictions make it easier for authorities to evacuate victims and prepare accordingly.