How WeatherNext helped the National Hurricane Center better predict Hurricane Melissa’s historic landfall in Jamaica

Google DeepMind · 2 months ago

The National Hurricane Center used Google DeepMind's WeatherNext AI model to predict Hurricane Melissa would reach Category 5 strength in Jamaica five days in advance with 80% confidence, marking the first time a storm was successfully predicted to reach that intensity from such weak initial conditions. The five-day lead time allowed Jamaica's Meteorological Service to coordinate evacuations and resource mobilization before the October 2025 landfall. Early warnings enabled officials to reduce harm to communities and protect livelihoods that would otherwise have been lost.