SMG bets on AI to improve its ability to forecast severe weather

[Photo: Ricaela Diputado]

The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) is betting on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to strengthen its capacity to monitor, analyze, warn about and forecast severe weather phenomena.

In response to a written interpellation submitted by lawmaker Ho Ion Sang, the bureau said it has been deploying such technologies to “strengthen intelligent and automated application in daily meteorological operations and thereby raise the capacity for monitoring, analysis, warning and forecasting of severe weather phenomena.”

SMG has also been cooperating with mainland Chinese agencies to promote the development of an intelligent weather system, integrating China’s intelligent weather warning plan, known as “MAZU,” into a local application.

In the response signed by acting director Tang Iu Man, the bureau said: “Currently, taking into account the local characteristics of meteorological disasters, urban flooding risks and other application scenarios, the system is undergoing systematic adjustments and validation with a view to its operational use in Macau, with the aim of transforming it into a multi-hazard early warning service and strengthening Macau’s overall disaster preparedness and prevention capacity.”

The bureau added that the meteorological talent training system will continue to be optimized “to cope with the increasingly frequent occurrence of extreme weather phenomena in the context of global climate change and to meet the development needs of meteorological operations.”

On the availability of qualified meteorological personnel, SMG said it has organized training courses for meteorological technicians with higher education institutions to train professionals in accordance with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards.

To raise internal professional capacity, SMG has invited the WMO’s Regional Training Centre to provide professional training to its staff and has sent personnel to seminars and workshops organized by bodies including the WMO, the Typhoon Committee and the China Meteorological Administration.

The bureau also said new monitoring and forecasting technologies, such as AI, are being introduced and various analysis and forecasting systems are being optimized “with a view to providing better-quality meteorological services to residents.”