Issue 66  |  27 March 2024

Spotlight on 'Artificial Intelligence and climate data'

At the Met Office, we generate, store, analyse, visualise, interpret and enrich vast quantities of global weather and climate data every day. All this information drives our models to generate accurate weather forecasts and advice used by millions of people around the world.

In parallel, our climate scientists analyse this data to best understand the earth’s climate system – both the physical processes (such as wind, clouds, land surface, oceans and ice) and the chemical reactions and interactions with the biological components of the Earth system to understand their link to or influence on the climate. Our understanding informs the development of detailed climate models which simulate future climate scenarios of how our climate might look in the future.

Many organisations rely on our data for critical decision making. Our responsibility is to keep advancing the science and technology required to deliver the underpinning data used to provide weather and climate science and services. We are using AI and machine learning techniques and combining these techniques with existing weather and climate modelling to benefit society.

In our latest Climate Conversations video as Senior Presenter Clare Nasir speaks to Professor Simon Vosper, Director of Science at the Met Office and Dr Rachel McInnes, Co-Director at Joint Centre for Environmental Intelligence to find out how we are using AI.

AI in partnership with...

The Turing Institute

In a groundbreaking new partnership with The Alan Turing Institute on the AI for Numerical Weather Prediction programme (AI4NWP), we’re exploring the use of machine learning to emulate the weather and produce a seven-day weather forecast covering both regional and global scale. The technology will help save lives by improving the forecasting of extreme weather events.

Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence

The Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence (JCEEI) brings together world-leading researchers from the University of Exeter and the Met Office, to exploit Environmental data and AI to create solutions to some of the most important challenges facing society today.

The partnership is working on a set of projects supported by the Met Office and other academic institutions. The Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo) is a pioneering climate change adaptation digital twin project that provides a practical example of how connected data can improve climate adaptation and resilience. This project looks specifically at the impact of flooding caused by climate change on energy, water and telecoms networks.

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Five digital twin pilot projects are being funded by NERC, in partnership with the Met Office, as part of the Twinning Capability for the Natural Environment (TWINE) programme.

The projects led by scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, National Oceanography Centre, University of Cambridge, University of Hull and University of Plymouth will bring together multidisciplinary teams to realise the value of this rapidly-emerging technology and transform our national capability in weather & climate and equip decision-makers with timely and relevant information.

UK Universities

The Met Office Academic partnership (MOAP) brings together research excellence leading UK Universities to advance weather and climate science. We recognise that to be truly innovative and to deliver our strategy, we need to forge innovative partnerships across traditional discipline boundaries. Our academic partnership combines expertise in weather and climate science with research excellence in other sectors artificial intelligence.

An international team of meteorologists, academics, economists, and user engagement specialists, led by the UK’s National Centre for Atmospheric Science and University of Leeds, are delivering a £2 million project under the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) Africa programme to transform access to early weather warning systems for urban communities in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique.

Researchers from the University are using AI to develop new methods to forecast tropical storms in a project called Nowcasting with Artificial Intelligence for African Rainfall (NAIAR). The methods will be developed and rolled-out for Africa, where people living in the urban communities in South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique urgently need access to early weather warning systems.

In the news

State of the Global Climate 2023

On 19 March, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published their annual State of the Global Climate report, looking back at 2023. They confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature at 1.45 °Celsius (with a margin of uncertainty of ± 0.12 °C) above the pre-industrial baseline. It was also the warmest ten-year period on record.

Nick Rayner of the Met Office said: “Climate scientists, including those from the Met Office, monitoring the earth during 2023 reveal that a number of global climate change indicators reached record levels last year. From Antarctic sea ice to the heat of the ocean, and from the glacier retreat to the overall temperature of the globe, 2023 was a record-breaking year.”

Climate Conversations

In our new monthly video - ‘Climate Conversations’, Presenters Alex Burkill and Clare Nasir bring you the latest developments in climate science. This month we discuss the WMO State of the Climate report, the use of AI in weather and climate science and the UN Development Programme’s Weather Kids campaign.

Sky's The Climate Show with Tom Heap

In Tom Heap's Climate Show, he examines the impact of the wet winter on wildlife, farmers and our water supply.

Our Senior Presenter Aidan McGivern explains how a warmer global atmosphere holds more moisture, so when it rains we will see more frequent and intense downpours, leading to increased flood risk & impact on our Food Security.

You can find our more about the impact of climate change on our food security in a recent blog.

Join the conversation

Follow us on social media channels to join the conversation. Look our for our hashtag - #GetClimateReady - on X (formerly Twitter), and follow our climate channels on TikTok and Instagram.

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