Google Unveils Sharpest Global Weather Forecasting AI Model Yet

Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, has unveiled its most advanced global weather forecasting AI model yet. The new model, called WeatherNext 3, integrates real-time satellite data and provides hourly forecast updates at higher resolution than its predecessor.

The model generates forecasts at multiple spatial resolutions, with surface variables visualized at 5-kilometer resolution, other surface variables at 10 kilometers, and atmospheric variables at 25 kilometers. This represents a global weather picture roughly five times sharper than the previous WeatherNext 2 model.

WeatherNext 3 has been shown to improve precipitation forecasting by up to 60% against NASA's IMERG baseline, 30% for MRMS, and 10% against rain gauge measurements for early lead times. The model also introduces predictions for renewable energy production, including 100-meter wind speeds for wind-energy output and high-resolution cloud cover and sun radiation levels for solar farms.

Google is integrating WeatherNext 3 across various platforms, including Google Search, Gemini app, Google Maps, Google Maps Platform Weather API, and Google Earth Engine. The company is also making global weather predictions available in BigQuery and Earth Engine, with bulk-download options from Google Cloud Storage.