African meteorologists create regional network to improve forecasts
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Rwandainspirer
Meteorologists from 21 African countries have agreed to create a regional community to strengthen cooperation and the use of artificial intelligence in weather forecasting. The decision concludes a five-day summer school held in Kigali, which brought together 44 participants, according to Rwandainspirer.
Meteorologists from 21 African countries have agreed to create a regional community of practice dedicated to weather and climate forecasting, reports Rwandainspirer. The decision was taken in Kigali at the end of a five-day summer school on artificial intelligence and weather modelling, which brought together 44 participants selected from more than 1,000 applicants.
The network is intended to facilitate mentoring, skills exchanges and continuing training after participants return to their national meteorological services. The organisers plan to confirm memberships within two weeks, hold a follow-up meeting within six weeks and draw up a work plan within three months.
Aimable Gahigi, director-general of Meteo Rwanda, called on participants to turn available data into useful tools for farmers and populations exposed to floods and other weather-related risks. Participants also called for sustainable access to computing capacity, particularly the cloud platforms used during the training, as well as the integration of artificial intelligence into meteorology curricula.
The discussions nevertheless highlighted that these tools are not yet ready for systematic operational use. A presentation by the World Meteorological Organization recommended using them to complement physics-based models through hybrid systems, rather than immediately replacing existing methods, according to Rwandainspirer.
