Huawei Cloud and the Meteorological Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality have officially announced the use of their artificial intelligence-based weather prediction model, named 'Zhiji'.
Huawei states that the name 'Zhiji' is a combination of characters that evoke artificial intelligence, Chinese culture, and good weather.
This model represents an evolution of the already known Pangu-Weather model, and it was first tested in February in the Shenzhen region, China. However, its applicability is not limited to this specific geographical area: Zhiji is designed to be used in any region.
Pangu-Weather was featured in a publication in Nature in 2023 and has been adopted by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) website.
Here are some key points regarding the Zhiji model:
Advanced Spatial Resolution: unlike most global models, which operate at a resolution of 25 km, Zhiji offers significantly higher spatial resolution of 3 km. This means it can generate precise weather forecasts within a radius of just 3 km, enabling a detailed view of local atmospheric conditions.
Wide Range of Weather Data: Zhiji covers a broad spectrum of meteorological elements, including temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind speed. This makes it a comprehensive tool for short-term forecasts.
Proven Accuracy: during the testing phase, Zhiji has demonstrated high accuracy in predicting cold temperature periods. However, the team continues to work on further improving the model and refining its ability to provide accurate precipitation forecasts.
Future Goal: chinese researchers believe there is still ample room for improvement. The goal is to achieve even more precise forecasts, with a resolution of approximately one kilometer. This could revolutionize local weather forecasting.
Potential Applications: in addition to weather forecasting, Zhiji could find applications in other sectors such as water resource management, urban planning, and disaster prevention.
In summary, Zhiji represents a significant step forward in the use of artificial intelligence to enhance weather forecasting. It will be interesting to follow the results of new tests conducted during the monsoon season in southern China.