Latest news with #PaulDellegatto
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
NOAA debuts artificial intelligence models for hurricane season
The Brief The National Weather Service is rehiring more than 100 employees after mass layoffs. This will be the first hurricane season NOAA uses AI models in forecasts. Experts say the technology could reduce forecasting errors—but humans still lead the effort. TAMPA, Fla. - The National Weather Service is testing artificial intelligence for the first time this hurricane season. What we know NOAA officials say AI models will now join the suite of tools meteorologists use to track storm development and intensity. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube What they're saying Wallace Hogsett, a science and operations officer for NOAA, told FOX 13 this marks a pivotal year: "We were looking at [AI models] a little last year, but this is the first year they will be a part of the suite of models that we're looking at." He explained that traditional models involve solving complicated equations, and take a lot of computing power, so AI can help speed it up, and decrease errors. READ: Hillsborough County seeks feedback to decide how to spend $700 million in hurricane recovery funds "AI models, on the other hand, are looking at 30, 40, 50 years of four-dimensional data and processing all of that information very quickly, recognizing patterns and producing a forecast," said Hogsett. "We're hoping that these models will help continue the trend of lower errors in both track and intensity forecasts, which will allow people to have a clearer picture of the risk that they and their families will be under." FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto agrees AI is promising — but not a replacement: "We look at this model, we look at that model, and now we look at AI models… it's simply another tool we use to forecast … I think AI is probably the future, but we're not there yet." What's next If forecasters find AI models reliable this season, NOAA says the tech could be permanently integrated into future forecasting operations. The Source This article is based on interviews conducted with National Weather Service scientists and FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'All about the Lightning' podcast hosted by UF/IFAS educators
The Brief Two educators with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a podcast episode called "All About Lightning." Stats show Florida leads the nation in lightning-related fatalities from 2015-2024. TAMPA, Fla. - Two educators with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a podcast episode called "All About Lightning." "We know that a big portion of our audience are people that either frequently vacation here or just are visiting and might not be familiar with our kind of pop-up storms and systems that we have here," UF/IFAS' Lara Milligan told FOX 13. READ: Lightning likely sparks Clearwater house fire Local perspective Over the weekend, Clearwater firefighters responded to a house fire on Murray Ave. According to the preliminary investigation, a lightning strike to the rear deck of the property may have sparked the fire. "There are some days in the afternoons that, in just one small area, you can have over a thousand lightning strikes," FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto said. "And those lightning strikes are typically hitting something: trees, homes, cars, whatnot." What to Know UF/IFAS Extension natural resources agents Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan recorded the podcast episode. During the podcast episode, the pair walks listeners through the science behind lightning and shares safety tips for residents and visitors alike. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "If you're out camping or hiking or if you're out on the water in a boat, you notice that change in wind, that drop in temperature, you look up, you see a big fluffy cloud that's starting to turn dark. It is time to head inside," Carnevale said on "All About Lightning." To listen to the podcast episode, click here. By the numbers Florida leads the nation with 50 lightning-related deaths from 2015-2024, according to the Lightning Safety Council. "You just can't mess around in a state that almost every single day in the summer has lightning strikes all over the place," Dellegatto said. "So it's, I think, one of my number one concerns as a meteorologist." According to UF/IFAS, 63% of lightning casualties happen during leisure activities. Additionally, lightning caused about $1.2 billion worth of damage in 2023, according to research done by UF/IFAS. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane Season 2025: Are forecasters ready despite budget concerns?
The Brief The 2025 hurricane season begins this weekend, and Floridians are preparing. The National Hurricane Center said it's ready — despite possible future federal budget cuts. Uncertainty remains over how funding reductions could affect weather tracking tools like balloons and buoys. TAMPA, Fla. - The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said it's fully staffed and ready for the 2025 hurricane season, which officially kicks off on June 1. What we know Deputy Director Jamie Rhome told FOX 13 that they have the personnel needed to cover all operational shifts and have made strategic adjustments to maintain accurate storm forecasting. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Critical data for hurricane tracking comes from weather balloons, ocean buoys and hurricane aircraft, all of which feed key information into weather models. What we don't know While the NHC said it's ready for this season, there's uncertainty about the longer-term effects of federal budget cuts. A proposed 27% reduction — more than $1.5 billion — to NOAA's budget could impact future staffing and equipment use, but how exactly this will play out isn't fully clear yet. What they're saying FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto underscored the importance of these weather tools. READ: Advanced technology will help Manatee County during 2025 Hurricane Season "The buoy data is critical, because we're getting information about all of the water that surrounds us — the Gulf, the Caribbean, the Atlantic," he said. "The water temperature, the wave heights — critical. Now, balloons are really important. They measure wind speeds and all of the weather above us, and all of that data ends up going into the weather models." Rhome assured: "If you take one observation away or one is unrepaired for a little bit of time, it's not like a house of cards comes down. There are other observations that we can lean on." The Source This reporting is based on interviews conducted with Jamie Rhome, the deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, and FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
