How Google’s DeepMind Tool Accelerates Hurricane Behavior Predictions

As Tropical Storm Melissa wreaked havoc south of Haiti, meteorologist Philippe Papin from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) firmly believed it was on the verge of evolving into a formidable hurricane.

In his capacity as the lead forecaster, he forecasted that within a mere 24 hours, the storm would escalate to a Category 4 hurricane and shift its course toward Jamaica’s coastline. Up to that point, no NHC forecaster had made such an announcement. What a daring prediction for quick validation.

However, Mr. Papin had an ace up his sleeve: artificial intelligence, specifically Google’s newly released DeepMind hurricane model from June. As expected, Melissa transformed into an unbelievably strong storm that devastated Jamaica.

NHC forecasters are increasingly depending on Google DeepMind. On the morning of October 25th, Mr. Papin elaborated on this in a public forum. He also shared on social media that Google’s model was central to his confidence: “Approximately 40 out of 50 members of the Google DeepMind ensemble predict Melissa will reach Category 5. While we are cautious about predicting its intensity due to track uncertainty, it remains a strong possibility.”

“Rapid intensification is likely as the storm traverses very warm ocean waters, characterized by the highest ocean heat content in the entire Atlantic Basin.”

Google DeepMind’s first AI model specifically designed for hurricanes has now surpassed traditional weather forecasters at their own game. It has accurately predicted all 13 Atlantic storms so far this year, outperforming human forecasters in course prediction.

Ultimately, Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane, marking one of the most powerful landfalls recorded in nearly two centuries across the Atlantic. Mr. Papin’s audacious forecasts could provide Jamaicans with critical time to brace for disasters, potentially safeguarding lives and property.

Google DeepMind is revolutionizing weather forecasts in recent years, and the parent forecasting system that the new hurricane model is based on has also excelled in identifying last year’s large-scale weather patterns.

Google’s models function by discovering patterns that traditional, slower, physics-based weather models may overlook.

“They operate much faster than their physics-based counterparts, with increased computational efficiency that saves both time and resources,” remarked former NHC forecaster Michael Rowley.

“This hurricane season has demonstrated that emerging AI weather models can be competitive, and in some instances, more accurate than the slower, traditional physics-based models that have long been our standard,” Rowley noted.

It’s important to note that Google DeepMind exemplifies machine learning—not generative AI like ChatGPT. Machine learning processes large data sets to identify patterns, allowing models to generate answers in minutes using standard computing resources. This stands in stark contrast to the flagship models employed by governments for decades, which take hours to compute using some of the world’s largest supercomputers.

Nevertheless, the fact that Google’s model has quickly surpassed traditional models is nothing short of remarkable for a meteorologist devoted to forecasting the planet’s most powerful storms.

Former NHC forecaster James Franklin expressed his admiration: “The sample size is now significant enough to conclude this isn’t merely beginner’s luck.”

Franklin indicated that Google DeepMind has eclipsed all other models in tracking hurricane paths globally this year. As with many AI models, high-end intensity predictions can sometimes miss the mark. Earlier this year, Hurricane Erin rapidly intensified to Category 5 in the northern Caribbean, while Typhoon Karmaegi struck the Philippines on a recent Monday.

Looking ahead, Franklin mentioned his intention to engage with Google during the upcoming offseason to enhance DeepMind’s output by providing additional internal data for better assessment of its predictions.

“What concerns me is that while these predictions appear very accurate, the model’s output operates like a black box,” Franklin remarked.

No private or commercial entity has ever developed a leading weather model that allows researchers to scrutinize its methods. Unlike the majority of models built and maintained by the government, which are available to the public at no cost, Google has established high-level resources for DeepMind; published in real-time on a dedicated website, though its methodologies largely remain concealed.

Google is not alone in harnessing AI for challenging weather forecasting issues. Governments in the US and Europe are also working on their own AI weather models, demonstrating enhanced capabilities compared to previous non-AI versions.

The next frontier in AI weather forecasting seems to be for startups to address sub-seasonal forecasts and challenges that have so far proven difficult. To enhance advance warning of tornado outbreaks and flash floods—a goal supported by US government funding. Additionally, a company named WindBorne Systems is launching weather balloons to bridge gaps in the U.S. weather observation network, recently diminished by the Trump administration.