Artificial intelligence offers an "unprecedented opportunity" for more precise and meaningful weather forecasting, a conference in Abu Dhabi has heard.
Experts and policymakers met in the UAE capital on Tuesday for the World Meteorological Organisation's session on AI and the role it plays in weather forecasting.
Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, WMO president, said that while forecasting is entering a new era of accuracy, gaps in data and capability – particularly in the Global South – present problems.
"AI represents an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate progress in this field," he said. "By integrating physical models with AI, we can achieve more precise local forecasts and provide tailored services that directly support agriculture, disaster management, aviation and other critical sectors."
Climate disruption driving urgency
The urgency comes as the planet faces mounting climate extremes – from deadly heatwaves and megastorms to prolonged drought and catastrophic floods.
Over the past decade, losses from weather-related disasters have surged, while many developing nations remain under-served by modern forecasting systems.
Speaking to The National on the sidelines of the event, WMO deputy secretary general Ko Barrett emphasised the transformative potential of AI but cautioned against deepening the digital divide.
“AI gives us the chance to leap forward but the challenge is ensuring no country gets left behind,” she said. “Our focus is shifting from simply predicting rainfall to understanding its impacts – which communities will flood, who will face crop failure and where lives are most at risk?”
Building equitable systems
Kamal Kishore, UN assistant secretary general and head of the UN's Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, urged participants to prioritise equality in AI-driven systems.
"Communities that are still on the wrong side of the digital divide must not be at a disadvantage," he warned. "It is really important we overcome this digital divide and ensure the benefits of AI applications are distributed equally across the world. We seek to serve the most vulnerable and most disadvantaged in our pursuit of resilience."
He emphasised the importance of resilient infrastructure, noting that the data centres and power systems underpinning AI are themselves at risk from climate-driven disasters.
One of the conference's key outcomes will be the adoption of an official statement representing a shared vision and road map for the use of AI, to be presented at the upcoming WMO congress next month.
Dr Al Mandous said this statement will serve as "a concrete step towards turning our shared vision into reality – building a safer, more resilient world in the face of growing climate challenges".
Extreme weather preparation
An Abu Dhabi company this year announced the creation of a forecasting system that could change how authorities and businesses prepare for extreme weather.
The National Centre of Meteorology told The National it forecasts about seven days in advance but the new system, from G42 with global chip maker Nvidia, is set to increase that capability to 14 days.
Andrew Jackson, chief executive of Inception, a G42 company, explained at the time of the announcement that the technology used in the programme was designed to adapt to local weather patterns.
"This technology is not only improving forecasting for the UAE but can also be tailored for regions worldwide facing climate volatility," Mr Jackson said. "The ability to generate hyper-local predictions gives decision-makers the confidence to act faster, plan better and build more resilient systems."
Dr Al Mandous said: “AI-powered weather forecasting has the potential to revolutionise high-quality weather and disaster-management solutions, particularly in this accelerating phase of climate change.
“By enhancing prediction accuracy and enabling hyper-local, real-time forecasts, this technology empowers better decision-making and strengthens resilience against climate challenges.”
