Whether it is one of your first tasks in the morning or a popular conversation starter, weather conditions drive our daily decisions more than we think, and have become easier to predict with the advent of new technologies. In this post, I will be discussing how digital innovation has impacted meteorologists’ ability to better predict and analyze weather forecasts and natural disasters.
In March 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami ravished Japan and left tens of thousands of people severely injured or homeless. Centuries ago, earthquakes or other natural disasters of this magnitude were extremely difficult to predict. However, the development of seismometers and other advances by scientists have helped coastal cities that are prone to earthquakes prepare to take shelter with warning signals. In Japan, residents had minutes to take shelter and without their predictions from seismometers it is possible that more people would have been injured or killed.
Earthquakes are not the only natural disaster to look out for. Technical advances in equipment used to analyze hurricanes or tornadoes have also been extremely useful. Within the past couple of decades, there have been terrible hurricanes causing harm around the nation. As with any prediction, the more data and facts are collected, the better. Scientists use satellite networks to gather data from the ground and the atmosphere- such as “atmospheric temperatures, moisture levels, and sea surface temperatures” to more accurately predict a storm days before its arrival. The satellites also have “advanced sensor technology”, which can sense changes in the ambient environment of a hurricane. This allows meteorologists to track where the hurricane or storm is most likely to hit.
In addition to satellites orbiting Earth, IoT (internet of things) devices have become vital in collecting valuable information regarding weather patterns. IoT devices are placed anywhere on the ground, wind turbines, or other objects to collect data to measure humidity, temperature, rainfall, or wind speeds. All this information can help meteorologists work with first responders to better serve areas that are likely to experience sever damage first.
Even more powerful than the devices mentioned above are UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and drones, which are often outfitted with spotlights and thermal imaging cameras. UAVs play an important role in routing pathways through caved in areas where damages to infrastructure are extensive and widespread. Drones facilitate the disbursement of medical and food supplies by flying into areas in need of relief. Satellites, IoT devices, UAVs, and drones are all examples of technical innovation that either use data to make accurate weather predictions or provide aid to suffering people.
There certainly is a huge focus on the technology meteorologists and other scientists use on a day-to-day basis, but the general population uses digital innovations to learn more about the weather as well. One common instance is the phrase “hey Alexa, what is the weather like today”? Coding technology has allowed us to have access to information about our daily lives at the tip of our tongue and fingertips. Weather applications and television broadcasts have experienced tremendous changes in their goal to inform the public about the weather. Recently, there has been a boom in “AI-driven mobile experiences” which focus on catering weather information specific to users and using green and red highlights to help the viewer understand what weather is good and bad for the day.
Overall, the weather is always going to be a hot topic. These skills and tools used by scientists to anticipate global or local weather events improves the likelihood of safer environments and better preparation for mother nature. I believe it is amazing to see how technology and new developments in AI can help us in almost every aspect of our lives, and I look forward to seeing how digital innovation in weather predictions further advance in the future.
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Hey, Nazneen, the use of satellites and the rise of drones are such cool examples of digital innovation and I was excited to read something different. The accuracy of weather predictions is unprecedented and seeing relief efforts to help those affected by natural disasters is such an encouraging reason to love AI. I’m excited to see the future of weather forecasting and see where else this topic can further project.
“Weather is always a hot topic”.. good one! I check the weather every morning because those afternoon showers do sneak up on me sometimes. It’s amazing how technology enables all of it and can tell me if I’m going to get a sunburn or not based on sensors all around us. Like with all data, things will only get better from more and more data, so it is our responsibility to take advantage of that by putting the smartest devices we can on the market and learning. I’m excited to see how things will only continue to get better!
Great post. I confess that one of my favorite uses of Twitter is to follow all the meterologists in New England. When a storm is coming, you can see all of their detailed comparisons of the various simulation models and which one they think is going to be right and why. I understand weather and weather tech on a whole different level now as a result.
Hey Nazneen, such a great blog post! I really don’t ever look at the weather and often just wear shorts and a t-shirt on a daily basis. It’s great to see that they are using AI to help predict when earthquakes or other natural events may occur. Recently, these natural disasters have killed thousands and left even more without homes and safe living.
Love the post since it shows how technology can have a positive impact on our daily lives with something as simple as checking the weather. I hope it improves upon the prediction and preparation of natural disasters especially following the Turkey-Syria earthquake this month. While they were suffering from an initial 5.8 magnitude earthquake the Turkey-Syria border was hit once again. Only two weeks after the initial 5.8 earthquake, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake has rocked the Turkey-Syria region once again! Heartbreaking stuff to see as they call for people underneath all the rubble and silence fills the air. However, I loved learning about how UAVs and drones can provide aid to areas in need. Looking forward to the development of weather technology and forecasting in the future.
Great post! I think it is really interesting to hear about how AI is disrupting the weather industry. And with the AI, it can revolutionize the industry because of its ability to analyze large amounts of weather data in real time, which can help meteorologists better understand and respond to weather patterns and phenomena. I do think it’s important to note that AI is not a silver bullet because it is only as good as the data it is trained on and each region has its own weather patterns but it is exciting to see how this technology normalizes in the industry over the next few years!
Cool post! Its interesting because the weather is a universal topic of conversation because everyone experiences it differently. This type of technology that can predict natural disasters seems like it could be a very useful tool in saving lives and preventing total loss. Id be interested to see how this gets even more advanced and more accurate.
Hi Nazneen, great post! When it comes to weather forecasting, I usually just trust the “Weather” app on my phone and call it a day, but it’s super interesting to hear about all of the technological innovations taking place in this space. I’ve always wondered how meteorologists know when a hurricane is on the way, even when it’s almost 2 weeks from hitting ground. I had no idea satellites do all of the heavy lifting of predicting natural disasters, but I’m glad they do! Also, I believe that the UAV’s you talked about are so, so, so important in saving lives, finding people and animals in debris, and supplying rescue supplies. The amount of lives saved due to technology is amazing, and I hope that advances continue in predicting weather.
Hi Nazneen! Funny enough I feel as if the weather channels and applications have gotten worse since COVID, but prove me wrong. UAVs simply alone is a technology I didn’t know existed yet and probably holds an impact in my life. It is so interesting how technology has penetrated all facets of life to optimize and to regular life. I want to know more about what I don’t know.