Multi-Source Temporal Attention Network for Precipitation Nowcasting (Papers Track) Best Pathway to Impact

Rafael Pablos Sarabia (Aarhus University & Cordulus); Joachim Nyborg (Cordulus); Morten Birk (Cordulus); Jeppe Liborius Sjørup (Cordulus); Anders Lillevang Vesterholt (Cordulus); Ira Assent (Aarhus University)

Paper PDF NeurIPS 2024 Recorded Talk Cite
Computer Vision & Remote Sensing Earth Observation & Monitoring Extreme Weather

Abstract

Precipitation nowcasting is crucial across various industries and plays a significant role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. We introduce an efficient deep learning model for precipitation nowcasting, capable of predicting rainfall up to 8 hours in advance with greater accuracy than existing operational physics-based and extrapolation-based models. Our model leverages multi-source meteorological data and physics-based forecasts to deliver high-resolution predictions in both time and space. It captures complex spatio-temporal dynamics through temporal attention networks and is optimized using data quality maps and dynamic thresholds. Experiments demonstrate that our model outperforms state-of-the-art, and highlight its potential for fast reliable responses to evolving weather conditions.