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A strengthened collaboration between WNI and PAGASA will use Google’s AI weather models to improve forecasting and help build climate resilience in the Philippines.

The Philippines is an archipelago of stunning natural beauty, but its location in the Pacific also makes it highly susceptible to extreme weather. Known as the “Typhoon Nursery,” the country frequently experiences powerful storms that can have a devastating impact on people’s lives and property. Improving the ability to forecast these events is a critical step in keeping communities safe.

At Google, we believe AI has a profound role to play in helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change. But we also know that technology alone is not the answer. The most effective solutions come from empowering local experts. That is why we are proud that our AI models are supporting a strengthened collaboration between the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Weathernews Inc. (WNI), a global provider of weather information.

This partnership brings together Google’s flood forecasting and cyclone prediction models to give a more complete picture of a storm’s potential impact. For forecasters at PAGASA and WNI, this means getting one of the world’s highest performing, innovative models as part of their forecasting toolkit, supporting them in issuing more precise and timely warnings.

Speaking on the partnership, Raia Hadsell, VP Research, Google DeepMind said,“We are pleased to see this partnership between WNI and PAGASA progress and hope our models can continue to make a positive contribution to forecasting in the Philippines.”  

Speaking about Google’s commitment to using AI to address the challenges of climate change, Yossi Matias, Vice President & GM, Google Research said, “ It’s encouraging to see Google’s AI models for flood forecasting and cyclone prediction being used in The Philippines. We believe that AI models, along with strong partnerships with governments and expert agencies like WNI, are key to building towards climate resilience, improving disaster preparedness, and making communities safer.” “Improving the ability to forecast storms is a critical step in keeping Filipino communities safe. By bringing our AI models to PAGASA and WNI, we are giving forecasters a more complete picture of a storm’s potential impact. We hope that this initiative will help improve disaster preparedness and build a safer Philippines, especially during typhoon season,” said Prep Palacios, Country Manager, Google Philippines.