Fujitsu has delivered a supercomputer to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Set to go live on March 5, the machine will improve prediction accuracy for typhoons and torrential rains, helping authorities to develop data-driven plans that will inform early warning and evacuation systems during natural disasters.
When used in combination with the linear rainband forecasting supercomputer built by Fujitsu in 2023, the agency said the new system will offer a four times increase in compute power, allowing it to more accurately predict various weather phenomena.
The system is based on the Fujitsu PRIMERGY RX2540 M7 line of servers, but no further information has been provided regarding the specifications of the system. The M7 line come equipped with Intel Xeon Scalable processors.
Through the installation of the new machine, the agency has also been able to create a dedicated environment to support the sharing of meteorological data from both private companies and research institutions.
The early warning and evacuation systems for heavy rain disaster prevention forms part of JMA’s Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) Strategic Plan Toward 2030, a recommendation formulated by the Japanese government’s Meteorological Subcommittee and intended to help prevent and mitigate natural disasters and improve socioeconomic productivity.
