Michael Brennan

Director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami, overseeing tropical cyclone and marine forecast and warning operations. Brennan has been a prominent public voice on operational hurricane forecasting and the use of AI-enabled tools such as Google DeepMind’s WeatherNext in the National Hurricane Center forecast toolkit.

WeatherNext Predicted Hurricane Melissa’s Jamaica Landfall Three Days Early

Google DeepMind presents WeatherNext, its AI-based global weather forecasting model, as having helped forecasters predict Hurricane Melissa’s Category 5 intensification and landfall in Jamaica three days in advance. Ferran Alet says the model provided a more accurate early signal than previous systems, while National Hurricane Center officials Michael Brennan and Robbie Berg say its confidence supported more aggressive warnings before the storm arrived. Jamaica’s Evan Thompson argues that the added notice gave authorities time to move people out of danger.

Google DeepMindMay 19, 20263 min read