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New partnership will share data and models to strengthen capacity and provide technical training
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Met Office will collaborate on artificial intelligence-powered weather forecasts to help countries better prepare for extreme weather events and climate risks.
The strategic partnership, announced on 22 June during London Climate Action Week, will see the FCDO and the Met Office working together to support the use of AI forecasting in countries most affected by the climate crisis, including parts of Africa, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
The government pointed out that powerful machine learning means predictions can be delivered significantly faster, more accurately and at a much lower cost than existing models.
Under the partnership, UK experts will share data and models, build capacity and provide technical training.
“This partnership will help national weather services better predict, withstand and recover from extreme weather events, reducing damage, protecting livelihoods, strengthening economic resilience and enabling communities to rebuild faster,” the government said.
He added that shocks to the climate system often have a direct impact on global markets, supply chains and growth, so this action is “a major boost for the UK’s climate and economic security”.
Initial work will focus on improving forecasts in the Philippines, where the risk of weather events is particularly high due to its densely populated coast and location in the heart of the Western Pacific typhoon belt.
The FCDO is supporting the partnership through its access to diplomatic networks, and will provide in-country support from British embassies such as Manila, as well as a “broader approach to linking British technology and expertise with partner countries.”
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Focus on climate security as El Niño threat looms
The objectives of the new partnership include strengthening global food and energy security and protecting the economy.
Yvette Cooper, UK Foreign Secretary, said: “Climate security affects all of our lives. When countries are devastated by extreme weather events, the impact can be felt around the world through the impact on global trade, disruption to supply chains and rising food and energy prices.”
“Our new partnership with the Met Office will leverage British expertise and technology to help countries in the Global South protect themselves from extreme weather events, manage the impacts of climate change and build a more stable world.”
The new partnership was announced in a year when a potentially record-breaking El Niño event is expected to bring extreme weather to parts of Southeast Asia and Africa.
El Niño is a natural rise in sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that occurs every few years and disrupts global weather patterns, causing floods, droughts, and temperature extremes around the world.
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Clean Energy, Adaptation and Resilience Research, Natural Hazards Fund
On the same day as the announcement of the strategic partnership on AI weather forecasting, the government also announced an £88 million (US$117) extension to its Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform.
The program focuses on helping countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Indo-Pacific region access clean energy, including through portable power systems and zero-emission generators.
The company currently deploys clean energy technologies and business models, including pay-as-you-go solar systems and mini-grids that provide reliable, off-grid clean power to homes and businesses.
The government said the extension of the program would “enable communities to maintain power during the crisis, while providing growth opportunities for innovative British businesses”.
Also announced was the launch of a new £39m (US$52m) climate adaptation and resilience research programme, called SCALE. Additionally, a £3 million (US$4 million) investment in the UK’s Natural Hazards Fund Technical Assistance Facility will help vulnerable countries access disaster insurance and financing more quickly.
The Met Office is the UK’s national meteorological agency. We are one of the organizations at the forefront of public sector AI adoption in the UK and play a key role in driving AI forecasting around the world.
The FCDO and the Met Office have also been working to improve resilience to climate change around the world through the Weather and Climate Information Service (WISER) programme. Launched in 2015, the program focuses on improving the quality, accessibility, and use of weather and climate information services to support sustainable development.
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