News AMD Epyc 7742 CPUs Tapped for European Weather-Predicting Supercomputer

[Admin]

AMD won a contract with Atos for building the BullSequana XH2000 supercomputer for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

AMD Epyc 7742 CPUs Tapped for European Weather-Predicting Supercomputer : Read more

 

[msroadkill612]

Bureaucracy gone mad. Do they have separate centers for predicting really bad weather & really nice weather?

 

[Olle P]

... Do they have separate centers for predicting really bad weather & really nice weather?

It's nothing about "good" or "bad" weather, it's about accurate or flawed predictions.

My reflection is only that it's no surprise that a new supercomputer get equipped with Epyc CPUs, so these "news" would be more relevant for investors.

 

[bit_user]

Bureaucracy gone mad. Do they have separate centers for predicting really bad weather & really nice weather?

You're referring to the fact that it's specifically for medium-range predictions? Well, medium-range is probably both really hard and where you have the most benefit to life safety and economic impact. If a hurricane is going to hit, you need to provide several days' warning, so that people can prepare or evacuate. Just 24 or even 48 hours isn't enough notice. It therefore makes sense that they'd want to invest significant resources specifically focused on that problem.

Long-range is harder to do with good accuracy, and perhaps gets more into the realm of climate modelling. I can understand why one might not put the same level of investment into it. Farmers, ski resort operators, and water system managers might really care, but it wouldn't have the same importance to society. It will never have the level of accuracy that's required for planning around heatwaves and major storms.