A strengthened collaboration between the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Weathernews Inc. (WNI) will use Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) weather models to improve forecasting and help build climate resilience in the Philippines.
The Philippines is highly susceptible to extreme weather, making improved forecasting a critical step for community safety.
The partnership integrates Google’s flood forecasting and cyclone prediction models into the forecasting toolkit of PAGASA and WNI. The integration is expected to provide forecasters with one of the world’s highest performing, innovative models, supporting the issuance of more precise and timely warnings and offering a more complete picture of a storm’s potential impact.
Yossi Matias, vice president and general manager Google Research said that using Google’s AI models for flood forecasting and cyclone prediction in the Philippines is encouraging.
Matias said that AI models, combined with strong partnerships with government and expert agencies such as WNI, are crucial for building climate resilience, improving disaster preparedness and enhancing community safety.
“Improving the ability to forecast storms is a critical step in keeping Filipino communities safe,” said Google Philippines country manager Prep Palacios.
“By bringing our AI models to PAGASA and WNI, we are giving forecasters a more complete picture of a storm’s potential impact. We hope that this initiative will help improve disaster preparedness and build a safer Philippines especially during typhoon season,” said Palacios.
Raia Hadsell, vice president for research at Google DeepMind expressed hope that Google’s models would continue to contribute positively to forecasting in the Philippines.
Google believes AI has a profound role in helping communities adapt to climate change effects, but recognizes that the most effective solutions come from empowering local experts.
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