Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Google Debuts WeatherNext 2, AI That Generates Hundreds of Forecast Scenarios

The Functional Generative Network creates physically consistent ensembles far faster than traditional supercomputer models.

Overview

  • Google says WeatherNext 2 produces hundreds of scenario-based predictions in under a minute on a single TPU at up to hourly resolution.
  • The model injects noise through a Functional Generative Network and is trained on marginals to learn spatially coherent joints.
  • Google reports performance gains over its prior system on 99.9% of variables and 0–15 day lead times.
  • Forecasts now power Search, Gemini and Pixel Weather, with Google Maps integration planned in the coming weeks.
  • Data and access are available via Earth Engine and BigQuery, with a Vertex AI early-access program for custom inference, and the system runs four 6-hour cycles daily.