AI Can Now Predict When Lightning Will Strike And Saves Millions Of Dollars

In Switzerland, researchers from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne have figured out an inexpensive way to predict when lightning will strike up to 30 minutes in advance. This is a significant innovation as we’ve all known that lightning can strike the same spot more than once.

It has also killed more people than tornadoes and hurricanes. Yet, all we can do is to be wary when storm clouds begin to gather.

The team has figured out a way of using AI to predict. This system allows researchers to predict lightning strikes up to 30 minutes in advance within 18.6 miles radius.

The study on this technology has been published on Climate And Atmospheric Service. The author wrote, “We have used machine learning techniques to successfully hindcast nearby and distant lightning hazards by looking at single-site observations of meteorological parameters.”

Through hindcasting, the model’s output will be compared to known output to test its accuracy. Using this, researchers can create an algorithm that predicts future lightning strikes. The machine has learned from 12 different weather stations in Swiss between 2006 to 2017.

The researchers wish to use this new tool in European Laser Lightning Rod project