GoKawiilRita El Khoury / Android Authority
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TL;DR Google has launched WeatherNext 3, its most advanced AI weather model yet.
Forecasts can now update hourly and offer much finer local detail than WeatherNext 2.
Google says that precipitation forecasts made a day or more in advance can be up to 50% more accurate.
Weather forecasting can be bang on the money, or infuriatingly inaccurate. Most of us have probably looked out the window at falling rain while our weather app confidently suggests we won’t get wet if we head out. Google is trying to close some of that gap with WeatherNext 3, its new AI weather model that should deliver more detailed, more frequently updated forecasts to services including Google Search, Gemini, and Maps.
Does your weather app provide accurate and reliable forecasts? 474 votes Yes, all the time! 8 % Mostly; it rarely gets things wrong. 30 % Sometimes, but it often gets things wrong. 43 % No, it's almost always inaccurate. 17 % I don't really care about forecast accuracy. 2 %
Google announced WeatherNext 3 today, describing it as its most advanced and accurate global weather model yet. One of the biggest changes is how often and how closely it can monitor the weather. WeatherNext 2 produced forecasts in six-hour increments on a 25km grid, whereas the new model can generate hourly forecasts and show some conditions at a 5km resolution. That should give Google a better chance of accounting for the weather that can vary considerably between nearby locations.
Part of that improvement comes from feeding WeatherNext 3 live satellite observations. Google’s previous model relied on data from traditional weather simulations that could be up to six hours behind, which isn’t ideal when rain or temperatures change quickly. The new system provides a much fresher view of what’s going on, so forecasts can be updated hourly based on recent conditions.
Rain and snow are a particular focus, and this is probably where you’ll notice the upgrade most. Google says that when you’re looking a day or more ahead, WeatherNext 3 can deliver precipitation forecasts that are up to 50% more accurate. The biggest improvements are expected in places where forecasting has traditionally been less reliable, which could make deciding whether to plan that barbecue or pack an umbrella a little less of a gamble.
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