Graf vs Euro vs GFS?
"IBM announced today that they will be introducing the world’s highest-resolution global weather forecasting model later in 2019--the IBM Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System (GRAF). The model will be the first hourly-updating weather model that is able to predict something as small as a thunderstorm virtually anywhere on the planet.
The current top global forecasting models, the European (ECMWF) model and the U.S. GFS model, subdivide the global atmosphere into grid boxes that average 9 kilometers and 13 kilometers on a side, respectively, then solve the mathematical equations of atmospheric flow to generate a forecast for each of those grid cells. The new GRAF model employs a variable-resolution grid, resembling a honeycomb, that can be configured with higher resolution over areas of particular interest (Figure 1). Over land areas, the GRAF grid elements will have average resolutions of 3 km, which is about 3 - 4 times greater than the European and GFS models."
https://business.weather.com/blog/new-weather-system-improved-forecasting-around-the-world?token=iVr8~2_mrVW6SGn07ioh~1pDV5kskRXj
"Weather influences what people do--where we travel, what we eat, even how we feel. Weather is arguably the single most important external swing factor in business performance, potentially responsible for nearly half a trillion dollars in economic impact each year in the U.S. alone.
At the same time, reporting of extreme weather events – droughts, wild fires, heavy rainfall, floods – is becoming more common. As such, the world needs better, more accurate, more finely-tuned weather forecasts.
For these reasons, IBM is introducing the IBM Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System. The system, called GRAF for short, will be the first hourly-updating weather system that is able to predict something as small as a thunderstorm virtually anywhere on the planet. Compared to existing models, it will provide a nearly 200% improvement in forecasting resolution for much of the globe (from 12 to 3 sq km). It will be available later this year.
GRAF represents a huge step forward. Until now, much of the world had to settle for predictions from models that covered 12- to 15-kilometer swaths of land—too wide to capture many weather phenomena. In addition, leading weather models update less frequently, every 6 to 12 hours in much of the world. In contrast, GRAF will provide 3-kilometer resolution that updates hourly, delivering reliable predictions for the day ahead.
Not only will this much-improved weather system help people and communities better plan for upcoming weather conditions, it will help:
Utility companies to better position repair crews to get power back faster after a storm
Airlines to more effectively route around turbulence
Farmers to better anticipate and prepare for dramatic shifts in weather
Insurers to predict surges in weather-related claims
Retailers to stock their shelves more efficiently"
