UK government to use AI to improve global preparation for climate shocks
New partnership share data and models to strengthen capacity and provide technical training
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Met Office are to collaborate on artificial intelligence-enabled weather forecasting to help countries better prepare for extreme weather and climate risks.
Announced on 22 June during London Climate Action Week, the strategic partnership will see the FCDO and the Met Office work 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 noted that powerful machine learning means forecasting can be delivered significantly faster, with more accuracy and at much lower cost than existing models.
Under the partnership, UK experts will share data and models, work to strengthen capacity and provide technical training.
“The partnership will help meteorological services in different countries to better predict, withstand and recover from extreme weather events – reducing damage, protecting livelihoods, strengthening economic resilience and enabling communities to rebuild more quickly,” the government said.
It added that shocks to climate systems often have direct consequences for global markets, supply chains and growth and that, as such, the move represents “a significant boost to the UK’s climate and economic security”.
Initial work will focus on improving forecasting in the Philippines, which is at particular risk to weather events due to its densely populated coast and its location at the heart of the western Pacific typhoon belt.
FCDO is supporting the partnership through access to its diplomatic network and will provide in-country support from UK embassies such as in Manila, and “wider efforts to connect British technology and expertise with partner countries”.
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Focus on climate security as El Niño threat looms
Among the aims of the new partnership is boosting global food and energy security and protecting economies.
Yvette Cooper, the UK’s foreign secretary, said: “Climate security is affecting all our lives. When countries are devastated by extreme weather, the effects can be felt all over the world, whether it is through the impact on global trade, the disruption of supply chains, or the increase in food and energy prices.
“Our new partnership with the Met Office will help countries across the global south to protect against extreme weather events, and manage the effects of climate change – using British expertise and technology to create a more stable world.”
The new partnership is announced in a year when an El Niño of potentially record-breaking strength is predicted to bring extreme weather to regions across South-East Asia and Africa.
El Niño is a natural warming of Pacific sea surface temperatures that occurs every few years, disrupting global weather patterns and causing floods, droughts and temperature anomalies worldwide.
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Clean energy, adaptation and resilience research, and a natural disaster fund
On the same day as its announcement of the strategic partnership on AI weather forecasting, the government also announced an £88m (US$117) extension to the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform.
The programme focuses on enabling countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific to access clean energy, such as through portable electricity systems and zero-emissions generators.
It is currently rolling out clean energy technologies and business models, including pay-as-you-go solar battery systems and mini-grids that provide reliable, off-grid clean electricity for households and businesses.
The government said the extension to the programme would “help communities keep their power on during crises, while also providing growth opportunities for innovative UK companies”.
Also announced is the launch of a new £39m (US$52m) climate adaptation and resilience research programme, called SCALE; and a £3m (US$4m) investment in the UK’s natural disaster fund, the Technical Assistance Facility, which helps vulnerable countries to access disaster insurance and finance faster.
The Met Office is the UK’s national weather and climate service. It is one of the organisations at the forefront of public sector AI deployment in the UK and plays a significant role in driving AI forecasting around the world.
The FCDO and the Met Office have also worked to improve climate resilience around the world through the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER) programme. Launched it 2015, the programme focuses on boosting the quality, accessibility and use of weather and climate information services to support sustainable development.
About Mia Hunt
Mia has been editor of globalgovernmentforum.com since 2019. She has 15 years’ experience as a journalist and editor and specialises in writing for civil and public servants worldwide, including covering sustainability policy and related issues. She has led the Global Government Women’s Network since it launched in 2023. Previously, she covered commercial property having been market reports and supplements editor at Property Week and deputy editor at Retail Destination. She graduated from Kingston University London with a first-class honours degree in journalism and was part of the team that produced The River newspaper, which won Publication of the Year at the Guardian Student Media Awards in 2010.
