A RESEARCH project which uses AI to improve flood forecasting in Ireland has secured Met Éireann funding.
Based at the University of Galway, the study is being led by Dr Indiana Olbert, a lecturer in Civil Engineering at the School of Engineering in the College of Science and Engineering at the university.
Titled IMUFF: Integrated Multi-model multi-hazard Flood Forecasting, Dr Olbert’s two-year project will address the threat of compound coastal-fluvial flooding – when rivers and streams burst.
It seeks to develop an advanced system for three-day flood forecasts using AI-generated time series and water depth maps.
“More than 300 Irish communities at risk from this type of flooding and the project will aggregate diverse data sources - such as meteorological forecasts, river flows, tidal record and satellite data - directly supporting Met Éireann’s flood forecasting, strengthening community resilience and improving Ireland’s readiness for compound flood events in a changing climate,” a spokesperson for the university explained.
The project is one of eight based at universities across Ireland which have been awarded a total of €2.8m in funding from the national meteorological service.
The funding is part of Met Éireann’s Weather and Climate Research Programme, which aims to strengthen national research capacity and scientific expertise in weather and climate, through high-impact projects.
“I am delighted to receive this funding award from Met Éireann,” Dr Olbert said.
“As floods are amongst the most common and deadly weather-related natural disasters, the project aims to develop a state-of-the-art AI-based compound flood forecasting system,” she added.
“The project will support the forecasting work delivered by the Flood Forecasting Centre at Met Éireann, increasing resilience of Irish communities and better preparing for the growing threat of compound coastal-fluvial floods.”
A second project at the University of Galway has also received funding Met Éireann funding.
Dr Paul Nolan’s T3UD: TRANSLATE-3: Underpinning Data research project has also been awarded a grant.
A climate scientist and project lead in the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) at the university, Dr Nolan’s project will deliver updated climate projections and related products for Ireland over the next four years.
“Using global data it will also explore how these projections are used in practice across different sectors, addressing uncertainty and risk management,” a university spokesperson explained.
“Ultimately, the work aims to enhance national climate services by producing user-relevant, scientifically grounded projections while communicating the limitations and confidence levels of the data.”
Dr Nolan said he and his team were “delighted” to receive Met Éireann’s support.
“The combination of high-resolution local simulations from ICHEC and historical data from Met Éireann means that we can provide the best insights from the worlds of physics and statistics to inform the climate adaptation plans of Irish local authorities, utilities, and other end-users,” he added.
Professor Lokesh Joshi, Interim Vice-President for Research and Innovation at the University of Galway, said they were “delighted” that two university projects have been selected for funding under Met Éireann’s research programme.
“These awards recognise the strength of University of Galway’s research in vital areas such as delivering advanced climate projections and improving flood forecasting,” he said.
“Together, these projects will help deliver real benefits to communities in Ireland as we face more extreme weather events and a changing climate,” he added.
