arXiv Machine Learning By Nathan Chalumeau, Xavier Renard, Remi Meynadier, Hugo Rakotoarimanga, Marcin Detyniecki, Emmanuel de Bezenac

Can AI Forecast the Extremes? Evaluating Probabilistic Weather Models on Tropical Cyclones

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The study evaluates probabilistic AI weather models—GenCast, FourCastNet 3, and FGN—against the ECMWF IFS-ENS ensemble for tropical cyclone forecasting. Using new probabilistic metrics, the authors find that AI models, particularly FGN, outperform IFS-ENS in cyclone tracking, achieving better location scores for 90% of storms in 2025. The analysis also identifies intensity and spread limitations, model‑specific failure modes, and the influence of pretraining data, highlighting opportunities for targeted improvement.

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