Weather forecasts in Kazakhstan will now be generated by
a supercomputer. Kazhydromet has begun using a modern numerical weather
prediction model covering the entire territory of the country. Forecast
accuracy stands at around 80%. Meteorological data are obtained from
international satellites and then adapted to Kazakhstan’s local conditions.
«Under an intergovernmental agreement between
Kazakhstan and China, a $20 million supercomputer has been provided and
installed at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. The key outcome is that
residents of remote villages will now have access to accurate weather forecasts,»
noted Amirkhan Temirbayev, Director of the Farabi Supercomputer Center.
The new system will process weather data at two-kilometer resolution. The previous method operated at a 16-kilometer resolution. With its enhanced precision, the new technology will be able to warn of possible weather changes. Specialists plan to issue forecasts initially for one week and later for up to a month ahead. Special algorithms are being developed for this purpose.
«Now, a 36-hour weather forecast can be generated in
just 3.5 hours, compared to over 10 hours previously, cutting processing time
by more than seven hours. The new model enables highly accurate forecasts of
phenomena such as floods. Of course, the WRF system serves as a tool, while the
final forecast is still prepared by professional meteorologists,» said Yerbulan Serikzhanov, lead engineer at the RSE
«Kazhydromet».
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