AI Revolutionizes Weather Forecasting: Hong Kong's Leap in Thunderstorm Prediction

Hong Kong scientists have developed an AI-driven weather forecasting system that predicts thunderstorms and heavy rain up to four hours ahead. This advancement, improving current predictions limited to two hours, enhances responses to extreme weather caused by climate change. The system uses AI, satellite data, and generative techniques.

A groundbreaking artificial intelligence weather-forecasting system developed by a team of scientists in Hong Kong is changing how storms are predicted. Capable of forecasting thunderstorms and heavy rainfall challenges up to four hours in advance, this system marks a significant improvement over the current two-hour limit.

Researchers from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology aim to use this technology to support governments and emergency services in better preparing for the climate change-induced weather extremes that are increasingly common. According to Su Hui, chair of the university's civil and environmental engineering department, AI and satellite data play a pivotal role in this revolutionary approach.

This innovative system, the Deep Diffusion Model based on Satellite Data, was created collaboratively with China's weather authorities. It refreshes forecasts every 15 minutes, significantly boosting accuracy. Its development is vital as 2025 saw an unprecedented number of typhoons and heavy rain events hitting Hong Kong and southern China, surpassing normal seasonal patterns.