Weather is impacting everyone, not just every business or every organization or country. It impacts every human being. People underestimate the size and scale of weather data.Remember, we're talking about Earth here. Think about the dimensionality of that scale of data. It's massive.It's very challenging for a group of atmospheric scientists to see challenges and weather prediction, and want to address them, to do every part of that equation on their own. We're still dependent on that traditional set of ini ...

RT Google DeepMind (@GoogleDeepMind)Weather affects everything and everyone. Our latest AI model developed with @GoogleResearch is helping us better predict it. ⛅WeatherNext 2 is our most advanced system yet, able to generate more accurate and higher-resolution global forecasts. Here’s what it can do - and why it matters 🧵 ...

Hurricane Forecasting Concerns - Staff shortages and data loss could reduce hurricane forecast accuracy [1] - Unmanned sail drone contract delayed until 2026 due to Doge buyouts and staff shortages at NOAA [3] - Loss of sail drone data impacts wind and sea surface data collection used by the National Hurricane Center [2][3] - Potential reduction in hurricane hunter flights raises concerns about data loss from above [4] - Hurricane hunter data improves track and intensity forecasts by 15% to 20% [5] Impact of Data Loss - Forecast models rely on data from sail drones, hurricane hunter flights, and weather balloons [7] - Poor data quality leads to inaccurate forecasts [8] - Potential for increased loss of life due to reduced preparedness compared to pre-2024 levels [11] Mitigation Efforts - National Weather Service to rehire 450 employees lost through Doge cuts and buyouts [9] - NOAA maintains commitment to delivering gold standard weather forecasting [10] - Rehires may take months, coinciding with the most active part of hurricane season [10] Historical Example - Hurricane Otis in 2023 intensified rapidly, more than doubling in strength in 37 hours, reaching 165 mph winds, causing nearly 100 deaths [6]

Industry Trends & Opportunities - Weather forecasting is becoming more precise and competitive, driven by consumer demand for targeted, hyperlocal forecasts and business needs [1] - Hyperlocal forecasting, providing forecasts down to a few blocks, is a cutting-edge area enabling emerging industries like drone delivery [8] - Businesses are increasingly viewing weather information as "weather intelligence," recognizing its value in decision-making [7] Business & Investment Landscape - The business side of weather forecasting is experiencing growth, with meteorology students increasingly seeking jobs in business rather than traditional roles [12][13] - Industries like insurance, agriculture, and electric utilities are heavily reliant on weather forecasting [13][14] - An electric utility in Southern California has invested in an in-house weather forecasting operation with meteorologists, weather sensors, and specialized computer models to predict wildfire conditions [14] Government & Funding - The fiscal year 2024 budget for NOAA (including the weather service) was $63 billion [15] - There have been discussions about potentially cutting NOAA's budget by half [16] - Companies are hiring weather experts to interpret forecast data and translate it into actionable information for management [16] Technological Advancements - Researchers are collecting data during storm chases to improve tornado prediction and warning systems [5] - Drone operators require hyperlocal wind forecasts (e.g., at 1000 feet) for efficient operations [9]