British researchers say they have created an artificial intelligence (AI) model that is highly effective at predicting rainfall within the next 90 minutes. The model was built by scientists at Google-owned research company DeepMind in London. The company partnered with researchers at the University of Exeter in Britain and the Met Office, the British government’s national weather service. The team says tests of the system showed it produced more accurate predictions, or forecasts, for short-term rainfall than other existing systems. The paper recently appeared in the publication Nature. The scientists centered on a kind of weather prediction known as “precipitation nowcasting.” This is defined as the prediction of precipitation, like rain, within the next 1-2 hours. Making forecasts of this kind has traditionally been very difficult. But accurate nowcasting can be a very important tool for preparing for possible weather emergencies. It can be used by officials in the areas of water management, agriculture, air and ground traffic control and outdoor event planning.