A new centre has been launched at University College Dublin (UCD) which will use artificial intelligence (AI) to transform weather forecasting, supporting Ireland's preparation for the growing risks posed by climate change.
The first of its kind in Ireland, the AIMSIR (AI for Meteorological Services, Innovation and Research) Centre was established with a €5 million investment from Met Éireann.
The new centre will bring together more than 60 UCD researchers across disciplines including mathematics, statistics, computer science, physics, engineering, and climatology.
The facility is designed to provide Ireland with a hub of expertise at the intersection of data science, meteorology, and climate research.
The AIMSIR centre will focus on developing AI-driven forecasting tools to improve the accuracy of predictions for extreme and multi-hazard weather events, along with the development of weather and climate services, with the aim of directly strengthening Ireland’s national forecasting capability.
"As our climate changes and extreme weather events become more frequent, advances in weather prediction are crucial for the protection of people and infrastructure in Ireland," said UCD President, Professor Orla Feely.
"This collaboration between University College Dublin and Met Éireann to establish the AIMSIR centre will bring together the latest advances in the knowledge and application of data science, meteorology, and climate research and ensure that Ireland is at the forefront of this increasingly important area of scientific understanding," Professor Feely said.
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Hosted in the UCD School of Mathematics and Statistics, in conjunction with the UCD Earth Institute, AIMSIR will train around 20 PhD students in the first years of its operation.
A new MSc in AI for Meteorology and Climate Change is also planned.
Launching the AIMSIR centre, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless described it as a pioneering initiative that places Ireland at the cutting edge of AI-driven climate and weather research.
"AIMSIR reflects the best of Irish research: interdisciplinary, future-focused, and rooted in a deep tradition of environmental awareness," Mr Lawless said.
Met Éireann said the new centre will play a significant role in advancing its strategic objectives of enhancing public safety, bolstering economic and environmental resilience, and supporting multi-sectoral decision-making.
"The creation of the AIMSIR research centre reflects a strategic investment in building national expertise in the application of data science to weather and climate," said Eoin Moran, Director of Met Éireann.
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Not a replacement for Met Éireann
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Aimsir Director and Professor of Data Science at Met Éireann Andrew Parnell said that the new centre is not trying to replace anything that Met Éireann are doing.
"They're doing an amazing job in what they give to us every single day," he said.
"We're working alongside them. Each of these 20 projects has somebody from Met Éireann involved to make sure that it's doing something that's extra and above what's currently happening.
"These AI forecasts at the moment, they're already there. They're starting to work alongside our traditional weather forecasts.
"When your weather forecaster in the evening is preparing their forecast, they can see all these traditional weather forecasts, and they can also see an AI-based forecast. They can make a choice as to how they use that.
"Over time, I think we'll see more of those AI forecasts becoming involved, and I think they'll be taken more seriously because we're already seeing the accuracy improving for them."
Mr Parnell said that the AI forecasts will hopefully make it easier to react quickly to extreme weather events due to climate change.
"We've just had the warmest summer on record. We know that our extreme temperature events are going up and when they're going up, they're actually hitting a larger portion of the country," he said.
"We've seen our rainfall intensity going up as well. Being able to react more quickly to those new data sets as they come in, looking at how these things are changing, is something we hope the AI forecasts can really pick up on quickly."
