Met Éireann and University College Dublin have established Ireland’s first artificial intelligence centre dedicated to weather forecasting, aiming to improve prediction accuracy amid increasing climate change risks.
The AIMSIR (AI for Meteorological Services, Innovation and Research) centre has been launched with a €5 million investment from the national weather service, bringing together over 60 UCD researchers from mathematics, physics, engineering, and climatology disciplines.
The centre will harness artificial intelligence to analyse more than 100 years of historical meteorological data alongside current satellite imagery and sensor information, enabling faster detection of weather and climate trends than traditional methods. This technology could produce weather models that previously took decades to develop in just a few years.
AIMSIR’s primary focus involves developing AI-driven forecasting tools to enhance prediction accuracy for extreme and multi-hazard weather events, while creating improved weather and climate services. The centre aims to integrate AI models directly into Met Éireann’s operations to reduce Ireland’s vulnerability to high-impact weather events.
The initiative will train approximately 20 PhD students in its initial years, with UCD also planning to introduce a new Master of Science programme in AI for Meteorology and Climate Change.
Research and Innovation Minister James Lawless said the centre would “play a key role in strengthening our national resilience and ensuring Ireland is not only prepared for the impacts of extreme weather but positioned to lead in the global response.”
UCD President Professor Orla Feely emphasized the importance of weather prediction advances as “our climate changes and extreme weather events become more frequent,” noting that such developments are “crucial for the protection of people and infrastructure in Ireland.”
Met Éireann Director Eoin Moran described the centre’s creation as “a strategic investment in building national expertise in the application of data science to weather and climate,” supporting the agency’s mission to protect life and property while promoting societal wellbeing through world-class science and innovation.