Tag Archives: weather

Quantum-inspired algorithm improves weather forecasting.

Posted on by
Reply

It is essential for weather forecasts to accurately simulate the turbulent air flow.

EUMETSAT/ESA

The algorithm inspired by quantums allows you to simulate the turbulent liquid flow on a classic computer much faster than the existing tools, and calculate from a few days of a large supercomputer to a normal laptop. Can be reduced. Researchers say that the weather forecast can be improved and industrial processes can be improved.

Liquid or air turbulence has a lot of interactions and quickly becomes very complicated, so it is impossible for the most powerful computer to simulate accurately. The quantum counter part promises to improve the problem, but now the most advanced machine cannot do anything other than rudimentary demonstrations.

These turbulent simulations can be simplified by replacing accurate calculations with probability. However, even with this approximation, scientists will surely request scientists to solve them.

Nikita Guulianov Oxford University and his colleagues have now developed a new approach to the stream probability distribution using algorithms inspired by quantum computers called Tensol Network.

Tensol networks were derived from physics and were commonly used in the early 2000s. They now provide a promising path to show much more performance from existing classical computers before truly convenient quantum machines become available.

“Algorithms and ideas come from the world of quantum simulation. These algorithms are very close to the quantum computer,” says Gourianov. “Both the theory and the actual can see a very dramatic speed up.”

In just a few hours, the team was able to perform a simulation on a laptop that took several days on a supercomputer before. With the new algorithm, the demand for processors has decreased by 1000 times and memory demand has decreased by 1 million times. This simulation was just a test, but the same type of problem is behind the weather, aircraft analysis, and industrial chemistry analysis.

It is said that the turbulent problem with five dimensions data is very difficult without using the tensor. Gunner Meller At Kent University. “It's a nightmare in calculation,” he says. “If you have a super computer and are happy to run for 1-2 months, you can do it in a limited case.”

The tensor network actually works by reducing the amount of data required for simulation and greatly reducing the calculation capacity required to execute it. The amount and nature of the deleted data can be carefully controlled by dialing the upper and lower accuracy level.

These mathematics tools are already used in cats and mouse games between quantum computer developers and classic computer scientists. Google announced in 2019 that a quantum processor called Sycamore has achieved “quantum advantage.” This is a point where quantum computers can complete tasks that are impossible for regular computers for all intentions and purposes.

However, the Tensol network, which simulates the same problem with a large -scale cluster of a conventional graphic processing unit, later achieved the same thing over 14 seconds and lost its previous claim. Since then, Google has once again pulled a new WILLOW Quantum Machine.

When a large -scale and fault -resistant quantum computer is created, the tensor can be executed on a much larger scale than the classic computer, but Möller is excited about what may be achieved in the meantime. I say you are.

“If you use a laptop, the author of this paper may lose what you can do with a supercomputer. You can get a big profit right away and have a perfect quantum computer.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Months of extreme weather in California lead to devastating wildfires

Posted on by
Reply

Palisades fire spreads through Los Angeles homes

Ethan Swope/Associated Press/Alamy

Fast-moving wildfires in the Los Angeles area are getting out of control long after California’s normal fire season ends. Powerful Santa Ana winds are not uncommon at this time of year, but these winds arrive after months of drought. This combination has sparked a series of devastating fires that could be an indication of how climate change is changing the way fires occur in the state.

“While the Santa Ana Fire is not new to Southern California, this type of explosive fire event has never occurred before in January and only once in December,” he said. crystal golden At the University of California, Merced.

As of January 8, there were at least four wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The two largest fires were the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, each burning more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) in a single day. The fire has killed at least two people, destroyed at least 1,000 homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate. The fire also threatens NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Getty Museum.

Strong winds in Santa Ana reached up to 129 kilometers per hour (80 mph), fanning the flames and spreading them rapidly. The storm is expected to be the most intense since 2011 and will be accompanied by “very dangerous fire weather conditions.” Forecast lasting until Jan. 8 afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Fire weather could continue until January 10, making it difficult to extinguish the fire.

He said it was the latest in a “highly unlikely series of extreme climate and weather events” that had caused the intense fires. park williams at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Santa Ana is a feature of Southern California weather, but fall and winter rains typically limit fire impact. This year, such wet weather has not arrived yet, leaving the plants dry and on the verge of burning. In addition, a wet winter in 2023 encouraged growth, so there is more vegetation for fuel. Heatwaves and drought throughout 2024 have left the land arid.

The combination of large amounts of good fuel, drought and strong, hot, dry winds creates “the most explosive fire event imaginable,” Colden said.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. It will also take time to understand the role that climate change has played. But there’s reason to think it made the fire worse.

Above-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, likely due in part to climate change, are also contributing to the dry conditions. According to Daniel Swain At UCLA, these are High-pressure ocean ridges formed due to rising ocean temperatures That prevents wet weather carried by the jet stream from reaching Southern California.

This type of high-pressure weather has been occurring more frequently in the region over the past 50 years, which could be a sign of climate change, it said. Daniel Cairn at the University of California, San Diego.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Life & Style: Must-Have Cold Weather Essentials to Stay Warm From Electric Blankets to Cozy Coats

Posted on by
Reply

aAfter a mostly mild and cloudy December, winter has finally arrived. We’ve rounded up some of the most popular and tried-and-true products to help you stay warm, especially when you don’t want to turn up the thermostat too much.


From slippers to coats and pajamas to top-of-the-line electric heaters and blankets, they’ll all help you beat the cold and even stay stylish.

The best cold weather essentials to beat the cold

electric blanket

OHS electric heated fleece overblanket

£20 at Online Home Shop

£34.99 on Amazon

This great value heater throw was rated the best budget option in 2008. emily peck Reviews of the best heated blankets. Available in blush, charcoal, forest green, and black, it comes with 9 temperature settings and a timer that turns it off after 9 hours.

heating airer

Dry: Quickly Deluxe 3-Stage Heated Airer and Cover

£149.99 on Amazon

£194.98 at Lakeland

Warm air dryers claim to dry clothes regardless of the weather without costing the earth any energy. jane hoskin We tested 12 and rated this one from Lakeland as the best overall. She says this dryer is for people who are tired of having to choose between the expense of noisy tumble dryers, dirty clothes on the radiator, and the smell of laundry that dries slowly in traditional clothes dryers. It is said to be for people who have.

electric heater

Duux Threesixty 2 Ceramic Heater

£89.99 at John Lewis

£99.99 at Currys

The mercury is dropping and the house is getting colder. But if you have your finger hovering over your central heating dial, an electric heater may be just what you need to efficiently heat your colander. pete wise We tested eight of the best, including this compact model that thoroughly heats a space while making less noise than standard fan models.

Source: www.theguardian.com

AI from DeepMind outperforms current weather predictions in accuracy

Posted on by
Reply

Weather forecasting today relies on simulations that require large amounts of computing power.

Petrovich9/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Google DeepMind claims its latest weather forecasting AI can predict faster and more accurately than existing physics-based simulations.

GenCast is the latest in DeepMind's ongoing research project to improve weather forecasts using artificial intelligence. The model was trained on 40 years of historical data from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). ERA5 ArchiveThis includes regular measurements of temperature, wind speed, and barometric pressure at various altitudes around the world.

Data up to 2018 was used to train the model, and then 2019 data was used to test predictions against known weather conditions. The company found that it outperformed ECMWF's industry standard ENS forecasts 97.4% of the time, and 99.8% of the time when forecasting more than 36 hours ahead.

Last year, DeepMind collaborated with ECMWF to create an AI that outperformed the “gold standard” high-resolution HRES 10-day forecast by more than 90%. Previously, he developed a “nowcasting” model that used five minutes of radar data to predict the probability of rain over a given one square kilometer area from five to 90 minutes in advance. Google is also working on ways to use AI to replace small parts of deterministic models to speed up calculations while maintaining accuracy.

Existing weather forecasts are based on physical simulations run on powerful supercomputers to deterministically model and estimate weather patterns as accurately as possible. Forecasters typically run dozens of simulations with slightly different inputs in groups called ensembles to better capture the variety of possible outcomes. These increasingly complex and large numbers of simulations are computationally intensive and require ever more powerful and energy-consuming machines to operate.

AI has the potential to provide lower-cost solutions. For example, GenCast uses an ensemble of 50 possible futures to create predictions. Using custom-built, AI-focused Google Cloud TPU v5 chips, each prediction takes just 8 minutes.

GenCast operates at a cell resolution of approximately 28 square kilometers near the equator. Since the data used in this study were collected, ECMWF's ENS has been upgraded to a resolution of just 9 kilometers.

Yilan price DeepMind says AI doesn't have to follow, and could provide a way forward without collecting more detailed data or performing more intensive calculations. “If you have a traditional physics-based model, that's a necessary requirement to solve the physical equations more accurately, and therefore to get more accurate predictions,” Price says. “[With] machine learning, [it] It is not always necessary to go to higher resolution to get more accurate simulations and predictions from your model. ”

david schultz Researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK say AI models offer an opportunity to make weather forecasts more efficient, but they are often over-hyped and rely heavily on training data from traditional physically-based models. states that it is important to remember that

“is that so [GenCast] Will it revolutionize numerical weather forecasting? No, because in order to train a model, you first have to run a numerical weather prediction model,” says Schulz. “These AI tools wouldn't exist if ECMWF didn't exist in the first place and without creating the ERA5 reanalysis and all the investment that went into it. It's like, 'I can beat Garry Kasparov at chess. But only after studying every move he's ever played.''

Sergey Frolov Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) believe that further advances in AI will require higher-resolution training data. “What we're basically seeing is that all of these approaches are being thwarted.” [from advancing] “It depends on the fidelity of the training data,” he says. “And the training data comes from operational centers like ECMWF and NOAA. To move this field forward, we need to generate more training data using higher-fidelity physically-based models. .”

But for now, GenCast offers a faster way to perform predictions at lower computational costs. kieran hunt A professor at the University of Reading in the UK believes ensembles can improve the accuracy of AI predictions, just as a collection of physics-based predictions can produce better results than a single prediction. states.

Mr Hunt points to the UK's record temperature of 40C (104C) in 2022 as an example. A week or two ago, there was only one member of the ensemble who was predicting it, and they were considered an anomaly. Then, as the heat wave approached, the predictions became more accurate, providing early warning that something unusual was about to happen.

“You can get away with it a little bit if you have one member who shows something really extreme. That might happen, but it probably won't happen,” Hunt says. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a step change; it’s a combination of new AI approaches with tools we’ve been using in weather forecasting for a while to ensure the quality of AI weather forecasts. There is no doubt that this will yield better results than the first wave of AI weather forecasting.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Pacific Northwest prepares for severe weather from ‘bomb cyclone’ and atmospheric river

Posted on by
Reply

Thousands of homes lost power, as downed power lines and trees blocked highways in Washington state on Tuesday due to a powerful atmospheric river event, officials announced.

Forecasters stated that a storm could bring up to 15 inches of rain and heavy snowfall in the mountains. By 7 p.m. local time, about 100,000 homes and businesses in Washington and over 14,000 homes in Oregon were without power, as reported by news agencies on the Rack Website poweroutage.us.

The Bellevue, Washington, fire department warned, “Trees are falling across the city, hitting homes.” They advised residents to stay away from windows and not to go outside if possible. X was contacted on Tuesday around 8pm.

Weather forecasters warned of a whiteout snowstorm in the Cascade Range and possible 2 feet of snow in Mount Shasta, Northern California, along Interstate 5. High wind gusts of up to 90 mph were recorded on Mount Rainier and 52 mph in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Known as bomb cyclones, these intense winds are caused by rapidly intensifying storm systems with decreasing atmospheric pressure. Scientists attribute this phenomenon to climate change generating more atmospheric rivers, which are significant contributors to precipitation on the West Coast.

An atmospheric river storm could bring significant rainfall over a three-day period in Northern California, with a flood watch issued in several areas. These storms help replenish water supplies after dry summers, but can also lead to severe flooding and damage.

Satellite images show a weather system moving towards the Pacific Northwest, prompting concerns of damaging winds, rain, and snow. Climate scientists are closely monitoring the storm and its potential impacts on various regions.

Satellite images show the weather system moving closer to the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday morning.
NOAA

As the storm progresses, residents in affected areas are advised to stay updated on weather alerts and follow safety guidelines to minimize risks and potential damage.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Unseasonably Warm Halloween Weather Sweeps Midwest and Northeastern Regions

Posted on by
Reply

overview

  • Halloween is expected to be much warmer than usual in many parts of the country this year.
  • More than 30 cities in the Northeast could set new temperature records on Thursday.
  • Unseasonably warm weather arrives in the midst of a warmer-than-usual fall in various parts of the United States

For trick-or-treaters in many parts of the country, that familiar chill may not be in the air this Halloween.

More than 30 cities in the Northeast, including Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., could experience record high temperatures on Thursday. Many cities in the Midwest are also expected to see temperatures 10 to 30 degrees warmer than usual for this time of year.

High temperatures in Boston are expected to reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the warmest Halloweens in 80 years, said National Weather Service forecaster Caitlin Mensch. The city’s current high temperature of 81 degrees was set on October 31, 1946.

“We’re well above normal for this time of year,” Mensch said.

Given the unseasonably warm weather, she encouraged trick-or-treaters to stay hydrated and apply sunscreen if it’s still light.

The high temperature in New York City on Thursday is expected to be 78 degrees and in Washington, D.C., a high of 81 degrees.

Temperatures in the Midwest will be similarly mild in late October. Cleveland’s high temperature could reach 78 degrees, and St. Louis’ expected high of 68 degrees could make this year among the 30 hottest Halloweens in the region in the last 100 years, the National Weather Service says. said Jared Maples, a meteorologist with the St. Louis bureau. Louis.

Temperatures could reach up to 68 degrees in Chicago. If that happens, this year’s Halloween will be one of the 10 warmest days ever recorded, said Zachary Yack, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Chicago office. The normal weather for Halloween in the area is 56 degrees.

“We’ve had a pretty warm pattern over the last few weeks across the Great Lakes and much of the Midwest,” Yack said. “We’re tracking this high-pressure system, and high-pressure systems tend to have clearer skies and warmer temperatures most of the time.”

Forecasters expect temperatures to drop by the end of the week.

Autumn is generally warmer than usual in some parts of the country. In early October, much of the western United States was hit by an unusual heatwave, with temperatures soaring into triple digits in cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, Napa, and San Jose, California. Dozens of new daily heat records were set across California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Last year was the hottest on record on Earth, and scientists say global temperature records are on track to be broken again in 2024.

randy richardson

Randy Richardson is a medical intern at NBC News Digital based in New York.

Dennis Chow

Dennis Chou is a science and space reporter for NBC News.

Steve Strauss contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

New Google AI technology significantly decreases computing power required for weather forecasting

Posted on by
Reply

AI could help us predict the weather more accurately

LaniMiro Lotufo Neto/Alamy

Google researchers have developed an artificial intelligence that they say can predict weather and climate patterns as accurately as current physical models, but with less computing power.

Existing forecasts are based on mathematical models run by extremely powerful supercomputers that deterministically predict what will happen in the future. Since they were first used in the 1950s, these models have become increasingly detailed and require more and more computer power.

Several projects aim to replace these computationally intensive tasks with much less demanding AI, including a DeepMind tool that forecasts localized rainfall over short periods of time. But like most AI models, the problem is that they are “black boxes” whose inner workings are mysterious and whose methods can’t be explained or replicated. And meteorologists say that if these models are trained on historical data, they will have a hard time predicting unprecedented events now being caused by climate change.

now, Dmitry Kochkov The researchers, from Google Research in California, and his colleagues created a model called NeuralGCM that balances the two approaches.

Typical climate models divide the Earth's surface into a grid of cells up to 100 kilometers in size. Due to limitations in computing power, simulating at high resolution is impractical. Phenomena such as clouds, turbulence, and convection within these cells are only approximated by computer codes that are continually adjusted to more closely match observed data. This approach, called parameterization, aims to at least partially capture small-scale phenomena that are not captured by broader physical models.

NeuralGCM has been trained to take over this small-scale approximation, making it less computationally intensive and more accurate. In the paper, the researchers say their model can process 70,000 days of simulations in 24 hours using a single chip called a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). By comparison, competing models, called X-Shield A supercomputer with thousands of processing units is used to process the simulation, which lasts just 19 days.

The paper also claims that NeuralGCM performs predictions at a rate comparable to or better than best-in-class models. Google did not respond to a request for an interview. New Scientist.

Tim Palmer The Oxford researcher says the work is an interesting attempt to find a third way between pure physics and opaque AI approximations: “I'm uncomfortable with the idea of ​​completely abandoning the equations of motion and moving to AI systems that even experts say they don't fully understand,” he says.

This hybrid approach is likely to spur further discussion and research in the modeling community, but time will tell whether it will be adopted by modeling engineers around the world, he says. “It's a good step in the right direction and the type of research we should be doing. It's great to see different alternatives being explored.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Top 5 Weather Apps to Help You Decide if You Need an Umbrella

Posted on by
Reply

a
Weather apps were a staple of the first iPhone in 2007, and their popularity hasn’t waned since. Forecast accuracy and options may have improved dramatically, but forecast results often vary widely from app to app.

Most weather services start with roughly the same data, because weather agencies tend to use networks of instruments to record their observations and share them freely. But there are differences in how each agency analyzes and models the data to create forecasts, and the chaotic nature and complexity of the weather system means that small changes can create big fluctuations.

A good weather app might not be able to brighten up the currently lackluster British summer, but it can help you prepare for the drizzle and occasional sunshine. Here are our picks for the five best weather apps.

Most accurate: UK Met Office

Founded in 1854, the Met Office is one of the world’s oldest national weather services, and its app is the UK’s most popular. Its supercomputers analyze 215 billion weather observations every day, at a speed of 14 quadrillion calculations per second. The resulting models are then fine-tuned by meteorologists to create forecasts. The process seems to work well, as the app was named most accurate in the World Meteorological Organization’s Weather App Awards. In addition to hourly and daily forecasts, the app features long-range forecasts for up to a month, and maps showing rainfall and cloud cover for the past six hours and the next five days.

Best for simplicity: BBC Weather

The BBC Weather app used forecasts from the UK Met Office until 2018, but is now provided by DTN (formerly MeteoGroup). Its output is based on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMRWF) model as well as their own in-house model. Simple and basic, the app features a 14-day hourly forecast including temperature, wind, humidity, and visibility. The BBC recently revealed that they choose the most pessimistic outlook when choosing a symbol to represent the day’s forecast, a good choice for those looking for a pleasant surprise.




On July 11th, unexpected heavy rain hit Warsaw, Poland. Photo: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock

Best for extensive data: AccuWeather

US-based AccuWeather claims to have the most data in its forecasts, incorporating over 190 climate models, including those from the Meteorological Agency. The company’s app provides minute-by-minute forecasts and “feels like” temperatures that factor in sun intensity, wind, humidity, cloud cover, and elevation. It also offers a detailed air quality index and a range of other variables, including dew point temperature, indoor humidity, and cloud ceiling height. To use many features, such as hourly 10-day forecasts and longer-term 90-day forecasts, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid version.

Skip Newsletter Promotions

Best choice: FlowX

For weather enthusiasts, FlowX lets you compare forecasts from different weather agencies, including ECMRWF, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Canadian Meteorological Centre. Select a forecast and it will be displayed on a map that you can scroll through in time. Choose whether to see precipitation, cloud cover, temperature, and even wave height and surface ozone levels, allowing you to make your own informed decision about the chances of rain or shine.

Best for aesthetics: Yr

The lesser known Yr app is a joint venture between the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, the latter of which was founded in 1866 and is almost as old as the Meteorological Office. It’s one of the easiest to use apps to scroll through a photorealistic sky to see what the sky will look like for the next 48 hours. It’s also perfect for off-grid adventures, as it provides accurate forecasts based on your coordinates, rather than searching for the weather in your nearest area like most apps do.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Brits’ fascination with weather apps: “I find it quite enchanting” | UK Weather

Posted on by
Reply

vinegarFrancesca Simon, author of the children’s book “Horrid Henry,” pulls out her phone and checks the weather multiple times a day — not just where she is, but where her friends and family live, where she went on holiday, and where she grew up.

“I love weather apps. I think they’re magical,” she says. She has about 10 locations logged, and her friends tease her about her “weather porn” habits. “If I don’t like what I see on one app, I check another one.”

This week, Simon She shared her weather app obsession with Queen Camilla As the two discuss a miserable summer day at a charity event.[Camilla] “She said everyone was making fun of her … so we were laughing at each other’s obsession,” Simon said.

It’s an obsession shared by millions: If you’re going on vacation, planning a summer barbecue, worrying about your yard, or suffering from hay fever, you probably check the app at least daily to see the latest weather forecast.

The app provides much more localized and detailed information in graphical form than traditional weather forecasts, including wind speeds and chance of precipitation.

This is a lucrative business. Most basic weather apps are free to use, but they make money from advertising, paid upgrades, and data monetization. According to Statista in 2022, global revenue for the weather market is Projected to reach $1.58 billionThe majority of its revenue comes from advertising.

be Last year’s YouGov pollIn 2015, apps were the primary source of weather information for Americans, used by 53% of people. One in five people said they check the app multiple times a day, and the older people they are, the more frequently they check it.

For people with specific weather needs, bespoke apps may be available. For example: the wind is strong Wind speed and direction are tracked and the Met Office has introduced UK-specific Coastal Forecasts (in partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and Mountain Forecasts.

Most apps provide wind speed and direction, sunrise and sunset times, UV forecasts, pollen counts, air pollution index, etc. Some apps even provide users with extreme weather alerts.

The Met Office launched its weather forecast app in 2010 and released a major update in 2016. By 2023, it expects to have around 6.2 million users, most of them in the UK. Usage spikes during severe weather events, such as named storms or heatwaves.

Met Office spokesman Graham Mudge said the app was in “continuous development” and had become more refined since its launch.

The center offers “detailed information for the next 24 hours,” but the further out a user looks, the more general the forecast becomes. “We’re recognized as one of the best centers in the world for our accuracy,” Mudge says. “We’re very proud of that.”

As a government agency, the Met Office provides data to other forecasters, but three years after the BBC released its weather app in 2013, it switched to a private weather company, Meteor Group, now known as DTN.

DTN “pulls data from multiple sources, including satellite imagery, global ocean and continental datasets, and real-time observations from a network of more than 20,000 sensors,” said Renee Vandewege, the company’s general manager of weather and climate information. The data is “processed in a high-performance cloud environment using AI and machine learning.”

“DTN believes our forecasts are among the most reliable in the industry and globally leading,” Vandewege added.

The BBC acknowledged earlier this year that the symbols that summarise the day’s weather on its app (which has been downloaded more than 28 million times) could paint an overly gloomy outlook: “The symbol of the day reflects the weather conditions that are likely to have the greatest impact on people’s lives,” it said. A BBC spokesman told The Sunday Times:.

“This may focus on short periods of weather on a particular day and is designed to be read in the context of the bigger picture and hourly details that change depending on the latest data.”

The company works with the National Center for Atmospheric Science to monitor and evaluate the accuracy of its forecasts across all platforms, including its app.

UK weather has always been changeable, but meteorologists say the global climate crisis is making it even less predictable and more prone to extreme weather – which could lead to increased reliance – or, as Simon puts it, obsession – with weather apps.

In the UK, “weather patterns rarely stay in one place for more than a few days at a time compared to other parts of the world such as California, which makes forecasting even more difficult”, Mudge said.

“Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the European continent, with the tropics to the south and the Arctic Circle to the north, the UK has an almost unique relationship with the weather globally.”

Vandewege said: “Checking the weather app is a global phenomenon. The weather affects every aspect of our lives – from what we wear, what we do and, in many cases, what we eat, to the more severe weather impacts, such as risks to safety and business operations.”

As weather data becomes more accessible, it’s not just the next local downpour that drives app usage: “Users are increasingly interested in knowing what the weather is like in multiple locations, not just their own local area.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Artificial turf equipped with self-cooling technology offers solution for cities facing extreme weather

Posted on by
Reply

At a test site in Amsterdam, self-cooling artificial turf was tested against regular artificial turf.

Joris Forten

By absorbing rainwater and allowing it to evaporate on hot days, artificial turf stays much cooler than regular artificial grass. Self-cooling turf protects athletes from burns and heat stroke and helps cities manage stormwater.

Such surfaces are already in use in Amsterdam, London and Kobe, Japan, he said. Marjolein van Huygevoort At the KWR Water Resources Institute in Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.

“A normal lawn stays cool because the grass itself evaporates,” she says, “so this system mimics that natural situation by letting the water rise and evaporate.”

Van Huygevoort says many cities and sports venues are installing artificial turf fields because overuse can damage natural grass. Even in warm climates like those in Northern Europe, the sun can heat the plastic surface to about 70°C (158°F), not only damaging the health of athletes but also warming the air in urban areas, a situation that will only get worse with global warming, he says.

Inspired by A “blue-green roof” that collects rainwater for a cooling effectVan Huygevoort and her colleagues built a toy-sized mock-up of the playground in a climate-controlled lab, with a water-retention unit below the surface topped with a two-centimeter-thick cushioning pad with thin irrigation cylinders embedded inside.

Filled with mineral wool fibres that act like a sponge, these “capillaries” slowly wick water up into a thin layer of sand at the bottom of the artificial turf surface. In a heated laboratory environment, the irrigated water evaporates from the sand, creating a cooling effect on the surface.

Encouraged by these results, the team built a 25-square-metre test site in Amsterdam containing irrigated natural grass. During a heatwave that recorded a maximum temperature of 29.8°C (86°F), the conventional artificial grass reached 62.5°C (145°F). The researchers found that Self-cooling lawnBut the temperature never rose above 37°C (99°F), just 1.7°C warmer than on a natural grass field. Even the air above the water-cooled turf was cooler, which helped keep temperatures down across the city, van Huygevoort said.

The system is based on a design in which the rate at which the water level rises and the evaporative cooling process depend on various natural factors, such as weather conditions. “So water only evaporates when there is a demand for cooling,” says van Huygevoort.

A reservoir beneath the grass can store about 512,000 litres of rainwater beneath the floor of a standard 100-metre by 64-metre football pitch, she says, and capillaries in the buffer pad can store another 96,000 litres, meaning the field should be useful for absorbing large amounts of water during storms, van Huygevoort says.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

10 Simple Steps to Ensure Your Dog’s Safety and Happiness in Hot Weather

Posted on by
Reply

As temperatures rise in many parts of the world this summer, staying cool can be a challenge. Imagine wearing a furry coat all day in such heat – not fun, right?

Our furry friends face this reality, which is why they need extra attention when the weather gets hot.

“Dogs rely on panting to cool down, which is less efficient than sweating,” explains Dogs Trust to BBC Science Focus.

“They lack self-control, so they don’t realize when they need to slow down due to heat.”

Fortunately, there are simple things you can do to keep your dog calm and happy when temperatures soar.

1. Walk your dog in the mornings and evenings

Like humans, dogs can overheat if exercised in direct sunlight. Research shows that a significant number of heatstroke cases in dogs are caused by exercise, with walking being a common trigger.

One recommendation from The Kennel Club is to walk your dog early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the hottest times of the day.

2. Stay hydrated

Just like people, dogs need to stay hydrated in hot weather. Carry water and a bowl for your dog when going out to prevent dehydration.

3. Harness your dog

Harnesses are recommended over collars, especially in hot weather, as collars can restrict airflow and hinder a dog’s ability to cool down through panting.

4. Watch out for symptoms of heatstroke and stroke

Heatstroke can affect any dog, with certain breeds and conditions increasing the risk. Look for signs like excessive panting, breathing difficulties, fatigue, and more.

5. Remember that the sidewalk can be hot for your feet.

Test pavement temperature with your hand before letting your dog walk on it. Hot pavements can burn your dog’s paws, so stick to grass or cooler surfaces.

6. Try paddling

Give your dog access to water for a cool dip. A paddling pool or water play can help them cool off and have fun.

7. Be careful when traveling by car

Avoid leaving your dog in a hot car and take precautions for car journeys to ensure your dog’s comfort and safety.

8. Offer frozen treats

Provide your dog with frozen treats to help them cool down. Avoid harmful foods and opt for ice in their water or frozen toys.

9. Have the person lie down on a damp towel

Use a damp towel to help your dog relax and cool down after a hot day.

10. Get a haircut

Trimming your dog’s hair can help keep them cool, especially in hot weather. Proper grooming can assist in heat dissipation and prevent overheating.

For more tips and information on caring for your dog in hot weather, visit the Dogs Trust website.

About our experts

Victoria Phillips Veterinary Manager at Dogs Trust, with 18 years of experience in the veterinary field.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Extreme weather ushers in the start of summer, from scorching temperatures to devastating floods

Posted on by
Reply

summary

  • In the last week alone, extreme weather has wreaked havoc in many parts of the United States and around the world.
  • Climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme temperatures and heavy rainfall such as those seen recently.
  • This year has been the warmest on record so far, with ocean temperatures breaking new records for more than 15 months.

Summer is quickly becoming a brutal season: Last week alone, record-breaking June heat forced schools to close across the Northeast and slowed some trains, flooding caused bridges to collapse in the Midwest and inundated towns across three states, and tropical storm-force winds prompted disaster declarations for 51 Texas counties.

The threat of climate change lurks behind many recent events.

“Last year, of course, was the warmest year on record by a pretty large margin, and this year, so far, has been the warmest on record for this time of June,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said at a briefing on Monday.

While it will take time for climate scientists to understand and calculate the impact of global warming on individual weather events, the science is clear that as the planet warms, the likelihood of extreme temperatures increases, and the risk of heavy rains increases because a warmer atmosphere can hold and release more moisture.

As a result, the effects of climate change will be more noticeable in the summer, Swain said.

“It’s not surprising that we’re seeing another wave of record-breaking heat and record-breaking rainfall. It’s exhausting, but I think it’s really important that we don’t forget or let it slip away,” he said. “And this heat is especially pronounced in the summer, because, of course, the Northern Hemisphere summer is when most people on the planet experience the hottest weather.”

Extremely heavy rainfall over the weekend flooded communities in at least 80 counties in Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota, temporarily isolating the town of Spencer, Iowa, of 11,000 people from the rest of the state. About 2,000 structures, including hundreds of homes, were damaged in Iowa alone.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

DeSantis Policies Impact Summer Weather

Posted on by
Reply

As summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, Florida is already facing extreme weather conditions. Storms have hit South Florida, bringing heavy rain and causing severe flooding in cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Sarasota. This comes after an early-season heatwave pushed temperatures above triple digits. All of this is happening as forecasters predict a particularly active hurricane season.

These events are all exacerbated by climate change, a reality that clashes with the current state politics in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis has become known for his opposition to addressing climate change, with recent legislation deprioritizing climate change in the state’s energy policy. This goes against the scientific consensus that these extreme events are linked to climate change.

DeSantis has also signed bills that prevent cities and counties from implementing measures to protect against heat-related illnesses in the workplace. This leaves workers vulnerable as Florida faces a warmer-than-normal summer.

Experts argue that DeSantis’ policies are out of sync with climate science and hinder efforts to protect people from the impacts of climate change. The state’s refusal of federal funding for climate change initiatives further complicates efforts to address the issue.

While some Republicans are beginning to take climate change more seriously, it remains a divisive issue. Former President Donald Trump and DeSantis have downplayed the threat of climate change, aligning themselves with a stance that dismisses the urgency of addressing it.

Despite these challenges, climate change advisers stress the importance of taking action to protect communities from the impacts of global warming. It is crucial for states like Florida to prioritize mitigation measures to safeguard against the worsening effects of the climate crisis.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Stay Warm in the Coldest Weather with a Polar Bear Fur Sweater

Posted on by
Reply

Polar bear fur keeps animals warm even in arctic temperatures

Torsten Milse/Robersarding/Alamy

Fibers said to mimic polar bear fur may one day be used in the next generation of spacesuits, military uniforms and clothing for extremely cold environments.

Under the guidance of developers at China’s Zhejiang University, this man-made fiber has already been made into sweaters and is claimed to be as warm as down feathers, the best-known natural insulator. It’s just a small part of that warmth. thickness.

The researchers make claims about the sweater’s strength and stretch in their paper, but not everyone is convinced they’ve presented enough data to back them up.

HaobaiPolar bear fur consists of a highly porous core and a dense shell, team members said. “The porous structure traps large amounts of air to block heat transfer, and the dense shell provides the hair’s mechanical strength,” he says.

Man-made fibers, on the other hand, are composed of “aerogels,” materials with low density, high porosity, and high air content (more than 90 percent by volume) encased in a rubberized exterior.

In addition to being warm, the researchers tested the fabric for practicality by subjecting it to 10,000 stretching cycles and reported no loss of structure. It has an elasticity of up to 1,600 percent and is strong enough that a single fiber can lift a mass of 500 grams.

Sweaters knitted with this fiber are “about one-fifth as thick as down for the same warmth, and are easier to wash and dye,” the researchers wrote in their paper. “Such fibers have excellent insulation and multifunctionality, and have great potential in areas such as military uniforms and spacesuits used in extremely cold environments.”

lisa lake According to a research team at Australia’s University of Technology Sydney, people have long been interested in how polar bear fur keeps the animals warm in such frigid temperatures, and researchers are looking to create a synthetic It appears they have found a way to mimic that property using materials.

but christopher hullen Researchers from Australia’s Deakin University also question the claims based on the limited data presented.

There are also many animals with hollow fur similar to polar bears, such as beavers, camels, and the Australian green possum. One of the biggest benefits of polar bear fur is not its structure, but the transparency of the fibers, which reduces heat radiation.

“It’s a nice idea, but does it really mimic polar bear fur?” says Hulen. “Probably not.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

The ISS Crew Stay Busy While Waiting for SpaceX’s Dragon to Navigate through Weather Conditions

Posted on by
Reply


This night view of southern Europe looks from Milan, Italy, northwest to southeast (bottom right), across the Adriatic Sea to Split, Croatia. At the time this photo was taken, the International Space Station was orbiting 423 miles above eastern France.
Credit: NASAExpedition 70 crews continue to pack up the U.S. cargo spacecraft for departure early next week. The seven residents living on the ship are international space station (ISS) has also explored virtual reality while providing various scientific and life support hardware services.
NASA and space x The undocking of the SpaceX Dragon cargo replenishment spacecraft from the International Space Station will be postponed to Sunday, Dec. 17, due to inclement weather as a cold front moves through the spray belt off the coast of Florida.The joint team will continue to assess weather conditions to determine the best opportunity for Dragon to autonomously leave the space station and determine the next available opportunity by 5:05 p.m. EST Monday, December 18th.The vibrant city lights of Tokyo were captured from the International Space Station, orbiting 421 miles above the sky.
Credit: NASAWeather permitting for Monday’s undock, coverage of Dragon’s departure will begin at 4:45 p.m. on the NASA streaming service. web or NASA app. The coverage will also be broadcast live on NASA Television. YouTubeand the agency’s Website. After re-entering the atmosphere, the spacecraft will fly off the coast of Florida, but the event will not be broadcast on NASA TV.
NASA astronaut Jasmine Moghbeli and NASA’s Satoshi Furukawa JAXA The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) has resumed transferring cargo freezers packed with science from the station’s Express Rack to Dragon. The two activated and configured the scientific freezer within the Dragon, securing biological samples stored for recovery and analysis on Earth.
Prior to this, Moghbeli replaced hardware in the Solution Crystallization Observation Facility, a research instrument that studies crystal morphology and growth. She also shook up mixing tubes containing seed samples for astrobotany research. Furukawa reconnected the power and communications units within the combustion research hardware in Kibo’s laboratory module.
Palm Jumeirah, an artificial island shaped like a palm tree, is a highlight of the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in this nighttime photo taken from the International Space Station, which orbits 454 miles above the Persian Gulf. Masu.
Credit: NASAESA Commander Andreas Mogensen (european space agency) His day began with an experiment aimed at strengthening computer programming skills Promote STEM careers for students across the globe. Mogensen then donned virtual reality goggles and watched a 360-degree film to understand the stabilizing effects of the nervous system. VR mental care experiment.
NASA flight engineer Loral O’Hara spent the day performing laboratory maintenance throughout the orbiting outpost. She replaced orbital plumbing components, deployed a portable her fan inside the Tranquility module, and replaced a broken wireless antenna inside the Unity module.
The space station’s three astronauts remained focused on scientific activities and maintaining the orbital system. After breakfast, flight engineers Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubb scanned the stomach again with an ultrasound machine. Roscosmos Research on spatial digestion. Mr. Kononenko relocated the eggs into incubators for biological experiments, and Mr. Chubb transferred the dismantled life support equipment from the Zarya module to Unity. Flight engineer Konstantin Borisov spent the morning working on the orbital plumbing and ended the day by photographing and inspecting the windows of the Zvezda service module.

Source: scitechdaily.com

SumUp secures an additional €285m in funding to weather challenges in the fintech industry

Posted on by
Reply

summary The fintech company, which provides payments and related services to around 4 million small and medium-sized businesses in Europe, the Americas and Australia, is raising growth capital to navigate the current turbulent fintech market. The thumb-up itself is tilted and shaken.

The London-based startup with German roots has raised €285 million (just under $307 million). The company plans to use the funding to continue growing its business organically and launch more financial services, focusing on card readers and other POS tools, offering invoicing, loyalty, business accounts, and more. is. We also have our sights set on more regions beyond the 36 we currently operate in.

The company will also focus on inorganic growth, namely M&A. The latter is noteworthy. We are currently in a buyer’s market. Fintech startups are experiencing a significantly tighter funding environment, with funding declining 36% globally in the last quarter. According to S&P.

(M&A deals can check several strategic boxes. When SumUp acquired loyalty startup Fivestars in 2021, it gave it an edge in the U.S. and also brought new services to its platform.) (Introduced)

Sixth Street Growth is leading this latest round, with participation from previous backers Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, Fin Capital, and Liquidity Group. SumUp has currently raised approximately $1.5 billion. pitch book data.

Hermione McKee, who was appointed SumUp’s CFO earlier this year, described the round as “mostly equity” but declined to provide a more precise figure. He also declined to discuss SamUp’s specific valuation, but he did note that SumUp has raised 590 million euros (half equity and half debt) in 2022. He said it was more expensive than the dollar.

The company states that it has been “positive on an EBITDA basis since the fourth quarter of 2022” (note: this does not mean it is profitable). And, compared to the previous year, he has achieved “sales growth” of more than 30%.

But on the other hand, there are other signs that business is tough right now. According to SumUp, the company’s customer base is now around 4 million people, which is exactly the same number the company had two years ago.

And today’s funding news comes on the heels of several other volatile data points about the company. It was only a few months ago that Groupon revealed it was selling some of its shares at a valuation of $4.1 billion as part of a larger secondary transaction between existing shareholders. In other words, we were able to sell the company for less than half of its 2022 value.

Meanwhile, the $8.5 billion valuation from 2022 is a significant discount to the 20 billion euros ($21.5 billion) that SumUp was aiming to achieve, reflecting how difficult it would be to raise a large equity round. It highlighted that. (And in line with this, the last raise SumUp gave in August was $100 million credit facility. )

Payment technology companies in Europe and the United States also faced increased scrutiny and suffered weak performance.

PayPal and Square, two U.S.-listed companies that directly compete with SumUp, have seen their stock prices and market caps decline since 2022. (PayPal’s stock is now less than $60 a share, down from a peak of nearly $300 a share.) Square and parent company Block are trading at about 25% of their peak. ) Stripe’s valuation famously fell by almost half this year to $50 billion.

Closer to home, listed Adyen has also reported slowing growth and is in financial trouble. But as a measure of how volatile the current market is, and how desperate investors are for signs of good news, Adyen’s mere mention of a turnaround plan (a plan, not an outcome) suggests that the company’s ‘s stock price soared. 30% up.

So far, Klarna and Checkout haven’t been so lucky. Klarna’s valuation fell by around 85% during its last funding round. Checkout was valued at $40 billion when it raised $1 billion in January 2022, but that number has reportedly been lowered since then. 10 billion dollars Internally.

Now 11 years old and one of the largest private payments startups, SumUp relies on a track record of longevity as proof of its stability.

“For more than a decade, SumUp has consistently delivered sustained growth, boldly entering and leading entirely new product categories and markets,” said Nari Ansari, MD of Sixth Street Growth. said in a statement. “This … track record and culture of innovation, combined with SumUp’s thoughtful approach to growth and efficiency, aligns well with Sixth Street Growth’s investment strategy.”

Source: techcrunch.com

DeepMind AI outperforms top weather forecasts, with one caveat

Posted on by
Reply

Will the AI ​​tell me if I need an umbrella?

Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images

AI company Google DeepMind says AI can more accurately predict the weather 10 days out than current state-of-the-art simulations, but meteorologists are still trying to build weather models based on actual physical principles. It warns against abandoning and relying solely on patterns in the data. Expose the shortcomings of AI approaches.

Existing weather forecasts are based on mathematical models, which use physics and powerful supercomputers to definitively predict what will happen in the future. These models have gradually become more accurate by adding more details, but this requires more calculations, more powerful computers, and higher energy demands.

Rémi Lam and his colleagues at Google DeepMind took a different approach. The company’s GraphCast AI model is trained on his 40 years of historical weather data from satellites, radar, and ground-based measurements to identify patterns that even Google DeepMind can’t understand. “As with many machine learning AI models, it’s not that easy to interpret how the model works,” Lamb says.

To make the predictions, actual weather measurements taken at two points six hours apart from more than one million locations around the globe are used to predict the weather six hours into the future. These predictions can be used as input for another round that predicts another 6 hours into the future.

DeepMind researchers carried out this process using data Produces a 10-day forecast from the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). They say it outperformed ECMWF’s “gold standard” High Resolution Forecasting (HRES) by providing more accurate forecasts on more than 90 per cent of the data points tested. At some altitudes, this accuracy increased to 99.7%.

Matthew Chantry He, who worked with Google DeepMind at ECMWF, said his organization had previously seen AI as a tool to complement existing mathematical models, but in the past 18 months it has seen a shift in the way AI can actually provide predictions on its own. He said that he has become able to do so.

“We at ECMWF believe this is a very exciting technology that has the potential not only to reduce energy costs when making forecasts, but also to improve them. Creating a reliable operational product “Probably more work is needed, but this is likely the beginning of a revolution in the way weather forecasts are made, and this is our assessment,” he says. According to Google DeepMind, using GraphCast to make a 10-day forecast takes him less than a minute on a high-end PC, but with HRES it can take several hours on a supercomputer.

But some meteorologists are wary of trusting weather forecasting to AI. Ian Renfrew According to researchers at the University of East Anglia in the UK, GraphCast currently lack the ability to marshal data into its own starting state, a process known as data assimilation. In traditional predictions, this data is carefully incorporated into simulations after thorough checks on physics and chemistry calculations to ensure accuracy and consistency. Currently, GraphCast must use a starting state prepared in the same way by ECMWF’s own tools.

“Google won’t be doing weather forecasts any time soon because they can’t assimilate the data,” Renfrew said. “And data assimilation is typically one-half to two-thirds of the computation time for these forecasting systems.”

He says there are also concerns about completely abandoning deterministic models based on chemistry and physics and relying solely on AI output.

“Even if you have the best predictive model in the world, what’s the point if the public doesn’t trust you and you don’t take action? We ordered the evacuation of 30 miles of Florida’s coastline. “If nothing happens, it will blow away the trust that has been built over decades,” he says. “The advantage of a deterministic model is that you can investigate it. If you get a bad prediction, you can investigate why that prediction is bad and target those aspects for improvement.”

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com