Supercomputers herald a new epoch for weather and event prediction
In a significant stride towards enhancing weather forecasting and climate modeling, France has unveiled a new supercomputer designed to revolutionise meteorological predictions. The new system, developed in collaboration with Bull, a leading technology company, promises improved accuracy, higher resolution, and increased computing power.
The new supercomputer, with a processing power of one quadrillion floating point operations per second (FLOPS), represents a 12-fold increase in processing power compared to its predecessor. This enhanced computational capacity will enable more simulations to be run daily, thanks to an innovative direct liquid cooling system that allows for up to five times more simulations to be conducted.
One of the key benefits of the new system is the improvement in the resolution of weather predictions. The resolution of forecasts in France has been boosted from 2.5km to 1.3km, offering more precise localised forecasts. Moreover, Météo-France aims to support the aviation industry by moving to a resolution of just 500m around larger French airports.
The additional computing power will support projects like ensemble forecasting for AROME, an atmospheric modelling system. This advanced forecasting method will lead to more accurate short-term forecasts over a two-to-four-day period, benefiting industries such as aviation, shipping, tourism, and sports events.
The new supercomputer is the first of two new systems being implemented for Météo-France. The second system, due to be implemented in the future, will further augment the computing power available to Météo-France, enabling even more accurate and reliable long-term climate projections.
Atos, Bull's parent company, is responsible for the head of HPC global presales and delivery, Damien Declat. Declat states that the benefits of the new system extend beyond just improvements in peak performance, also optimizing production and lowering operating costs.
Météo-France's new configuration will also enhance its role in global climate modeling. The organisation, which gathers results from many countries for the IPCC to predict climate change for the long term, is working with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on the Copernicus atmosphere monitoring project.
Moreover, the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales) is heavily involved in improving weather forecasting and climate modeling in France, supported by France’s leading role in the European Space Agency (ESA) headquartered in Paris. These improvements enhance the accuracy and reliability of long-term climate projections used by the IPCC.
The new supercomputer will also benefit remote populations of La Réunion, New Caledonia, and several other territories by enabling high-resolution modeling. As the system continues to evolve, it is expected to contribute significantly to the understanding and prediction of weather patterns and climate change, benefiting both the French population and the wider global community.
In summary, the new supercomputer marks a significant step forward in the field of weather forecasting and climate modeling. With its enhanced processing power, improved resolution, and innovative cooling system, it promises to deliver more accurate, reliable, and frequent weather predictions, benefiting a wide range of industries and populations.
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