NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said artificial intelligence technologies used for the first time this year helped the National Weather Service provide timely and precise hurricane forecasts.
In a Tuesday news release, Jacobs said the use of AI should improve forecast reliability and reduce deaths, injuries and property damage for the nation’s coastal residents.
AI can be applied to various forecasting tools, but its primary use to date has been enhancing storm prediction models through data mining and machine learning. In some cases, AI can incorporate billions of data points into storm models, providing a clearer road map for hurricane behavior.
Jacobs said the National Hurricane Center “performed exceedingly well when it came to forecasting rapid intensification for some of the more impactful storms and provided critical decision support for our Caribbean partners.”
