Japan Meteorological Agency to Integrate AI into Weather Forecasting Systems

The Japan Meteorological Agency is adopting artificial intelligence to enhance the accuracy of weather forecasts. By combining AI predictions with traditional numerical models, the agency aims to improve forecasting for temperature, precipitation, and typhoon trajectories. Meteorologists will continue to play a vital role in interpreting data and issuing alerts.

May 15, 2025 - 02:29

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Japan Meteorological Agency to Integrate AI into Weather Forecasting Systems

According to Kyodo News, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced on May 13 its plan to integrate artificial intelligence into its weather forecasting systems and has already begun strengthening its infrastructure to support the initiative.

The JMA aims to enhance forecast accuracy by combining predictions generated by AI—trained on historical weather data—with existing numerical forecasting programs. In April, the agency established a dedicated team to lay the groundwork for this AI integration and to lead future technical development.

AI-Powered Weather Predictions

By leveraging deep learning algorithms, AI can analyze massive datasets to identify weather patterns and forecast variables such as temperature and precipitation. In some cases, such as predicting typhoon paths, the AI-based approach may even outperform traditional methods.

The agency plans to announce additional measures by June 2025 that will incorporate AI and deep learning technologies to improve the quality and precision of meteorological information. Currently, JMA relies on a numerical weather prediction model, which uses observational data and supercomputer simulations to forecast future atmospheric conditions. Expert meteorologists then interpret the simulation results to issue public forecasts and warnings.

While AI has previously been used only to adjust simulation outputs, its role is set to expand significantly. Still, human forecasters will remain crucial in analyzing AI outputs and issuing official forecasts, ensuring that expert judgment complements machine predictions.