DOST-PAGASA EYEING TO USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

PAGASA will soon use artificial intelligence to improve its weather forecasting to better provide the public with information (Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News)

Weather state bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will soon use artificial intelligence (AI) in weather forecasting according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) during a Senate hearing.

The agency said that the AI would be employed to better provide the public with information, “Soon we will use, through our research program, artificial intelligence in weather forecasting. So instead of every three hours computation, our target is to provide a forecast every 15 minutes.”

This is after Senators questioned why the forecasts in certain parts of the country were inaccurate.

Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. stated that “There is a big difference between continental meteorology and meteorology in an archipelago like the Philippines. We have many water systems and many sources of weather systems because of the archipelagic meter.”

Solidum added that the country needs at most 21 Dopple raddars which are used to detect rainfall, but it is said that only 11 of the 19 radars in the country were operational after some were damaged  or were need to be replaced.  

“Once we are able to develop the AI-improved weather forecast, for example, our target is 15 minutes, but every five days, Pagasa releases a rain forecast and we want to make that 14 days with the use of AI,” Solidum said.

According to the Science Secretary, the PAGASA produces several rainfall warning, a 24-hour rainfall forecast. He said that the disaster manager should read the forecast for the area. “What is lacking is the actual standard operating procedure to be done in local level.”

On PAGASA’s latest advisory, Tropical Storm Bebinca is seen to intensify into a severe tropical storm within 24 hours and may reach typhoon category late Thursday and is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon or evening and exit PAR on Saturday morning.

Source: Manila Bulletin 

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