In an era of increasingly unpredictable extreme weather, getting the forecast right is no longer just about what you need to wear during your morning commute. It’s about national resilience, food security, and technological sovereignty.
In this episode, host Amelia Jabry is joined by Dr Scott Hosking (Mission Director for Environmental Forecasting at the Alan Turing Institute) and Professor Kirstine Dale (Chief AI Officer at the Met Office) to introduce FastNet: a groundbreaking, home-grown AI weather model developed right here in the UK.
Together, they demystify how FastNet uses 3D geometry (specifically, an icosahedral mesh) to map our round planet, how it spots patterns across 40 years of climate data. They also explore why we still desperately need physics to prepare for unprecedented ‘Grey Swan’ climate events like a looming Super El Niño. They tackle the vital questions of making our AI sustainable, the critical importance of a diverse AI workforce, and why the UK must maintain its own independent weather modelling capabilities rather than relying on global tech giants.
Read more about FastNet here: https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/research-projects/fastnet
Chapter markers
0:00 Intro
1:04 Introducing Scott Hosking and Kirsten Dale
1:50 The Raucous Revolution in weather forecasting of 2022
04:17 how AI weather prediction models work and how they differ from traditional weather prediction models
05:15 Why traditional physics based models still remain important in forecasting
07:00 The training data AI models rely on
7:50 The uses of AI weather models and the advantages of being computationally light
09:16 Turing’s partnership with the MET Office – why is the weather important?
11:50 Introducing Fastnet: How cutting-edge weather models can tackle climate insecurities
12:30 How AI weather models differ from LLMs
13:15 How Fastnet uses an icosahedral mesh to map the Earth.
16:05 Grey Swan events and Super El Niño
19:40Comparators to Fastnet and introducing a regional model for the uk
20:30 Improving the accuracy of fastnet
24:55 Green AI
26:30 The importance of diversity in AI modelling
28:30 Why it is important for the UK to have its own weather model
30:30 The future of Fastnet
32:13 Outro and find out more
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com