Scientists invented artificial intelligence to forecast severe weather events, helping to avoid disaster occurrences in vulnerable regions.

In the Horn of Africa, heavy rains often lead to flooding, shattering livelihoods and communities. These challenges are addressed by inventing AI-driven solutions to predict and mitigate such disasters. Such extreme weather events as droughts, wildfires, and flooding are worsened by climate change and are increasing worldwide.

The United Nations World Food Programme, in cooperation with researchers from the University of Oxford's physics department, is leading the development of an AI weather prediction system. Shruti Nath, an Oxford climate scientist, explains the method as a hybrid model that incorporates AI to pair outdated physical models, particularly where difficulties in weather patterns pose challenges.

The AI model predicts future weather events using satellite data to monitor cloud formations. Continuously, AI refines its predictions and improves accuracy over time with training provided earlier on historical and satellite observations.

Oxford’s AI forecasting code works well on regular laptops, in contrast to the costly and complex standard supercomputers used in developed nations like the United Kingdom. The technology, which is now being tested in Kenya and Ethiopia, intends to expand across the Horn of Africa, potentially helping the worldwide population suffering from natural disasters brought on by climate change.

The AI forecasts have the potential to alert at-risk populations through text messages, emails, and broadcast media, offering crucial time for readiness and action. This initiative marks a significant step toward using technology to mitigate the impacts of change on vulnerable communities around the world.