AI Peeks into the Looking Glass: Google Begins To Forecast Flooding Around the World

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AI-based weather forecasting has gone from a possibility to reality, offering more accurate information than traditional methods. The latest of these advances is Google’s “Flood Forecasting.”

The project’s methodology is complex. “Our system combines two AI models that process diverse publicly available data sources: the Hydrologic Model forecasts the amount of water flowing in a river, and the Inundation Model predicts what areas will be affected and how high the water level will be,” the search engine behemoth says.

Global map
The forecast shows a map of the world, offering both a satellite view of the Earth and one that renders only flood-threatened or flooded areas, all of it in real time. It sorts flood levels into four strata: The first is “extreme level.” This is followed by “danger level,” “warning level” and areas for which there is no data. It is similar to the data provided by the U.S. Drought Monitor, but it covers the entire globe. Currently, the most threatened areas are in Europe, near the UK and in Nigeria.

Google Flood Forecasting is available to the public; likely, something much more sophisticated is available to weather services.