The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is a government agency in Australia that is responsible for providing weather forecasts, warnings, and observations to the public. Recently, the BOM entered into an agreement with a private company to improve its weather forecasting capabilities.

The agreement, which was signed in May 2021, will see the BOM work with the Australian arm of the multinational company IBM. IBM will provide the BOM with access to its supercomputers, which will help to improve the accuracy and timeliness of the agency`s weather forecasts.

This agreement is a significant development for the BOM, as it will allow the agency to access state-of-the-art technology that was previously unavailable to it. The BOM has stated that it expects the new technology to improve its forecasting accuracy by up to 25%, which will be of great benefit to the many Australians who rely on the agency`s forecasts for a range of activities, including farming, shipping, and aviation.

The agreement between the BOM and IBM is also notable for its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology. These technologies will be used to analyze large amounts of data, including historical weather patterns and current weather observations, to provide more accurate and timely forecasts.

The BOM has emphasized that the new technology will not replace the agency`s experienced meteorologists, who will continue to play a vital role in the forecasting process. Instead, the technology will provide meteorologists with additional tools and data to help them make more informed decisions.

Overall, the agreement between the BOM and IBM represents a significant investment in Australia`s weather forecasting capabilities. By leveraging the latest technology and expertise, the BOM will be able to provide more accurate and timely forecasts, which will benefit millions of Australians.