April 11, 2025 Demonstration of the Provision of "Highly Accurate Weather Forecast Information" at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

　During the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, highly accurate weather forecast information will be provided through smartphone applications and other platforms. This advanced forecasting is made possible by using the next-generation weather radar developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and other organizations.
　This initiative utilizes the next-generation weather radar, the Multi-Parameter Phased Array Weather Radar (MP-PAWR), to observe rain clouds, and uses the supercomputer "Fugaku" to predict their state 30 minutes ahead. It also delivers 3D visualizations of rain clouds and push notifications of torrential rainfall forecasts via smartphone applications. This marks the world’s first demonstration of this technology.

1. Overview

　During the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan to be held from April 2025, the world's first*1 demonstration will be conducted to provide visitors, exposition associations, and others with unprecedentedly accurate weather forecast information. The demonstration utilizes the following major technologies: the Multi-Parameter Phased Array Weather Radar (MP-PAWR)*2, data compression and restoration technology*3, and the supercomputer "Fugaku." MP-PAWR is a next-generation weather radar capable of detecting the early stages of torrential rainfall and was primarily developed by the MIC and NICT. The data compression and restoration technology enables efficient data transfer. The NICT plays a central role in industry-government-academia collaboration.
　This initiative is conducted based on the Action Plan for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, "Demonstration of Analysis and Real-time Distribution of Highly Accurate Data Using Remote Sensing Technology (by the MIC)". A summary of this event is provided in the attached PDF .

2. Duration and method of providing highly accurate weather forecast information and its details

(1) Provision periodThe Expo period (From Sunday, April 13, 2025, to Monday, October 13, 2025)
Torrential rainfall forecasts will be provided using the supercomputer "Fugaku" over a 27-day period, from Tuesday, August 5, 2025, to Sunday, August 31, 2025.

(2) Method of provision and details of information
1. Provides 3D visualization of rain clouds and push notifications of torrential rainfall forecasts through the free smartphone application "3D Amagumo Weather."
2. Provides information on torrential rainfall forecasts on the Riken website, which is conducted using the supercomputer "Fugaku" *4

*1 Integrating observation data from two MP-PAWRs to forecast torrential rainfalls in real time is the world's first initiative. (As of March 2025, according to Riken)

*2 The weather radar will be deployed at the NICT Advanced ICT Research Institute (Kobe City) and the University of Osaka (Suita City), to observe three-dimensional rain clouds, including cumulonimbus clouds, in the Osaka area, including the Expo site.

*3 Developed as part of the "R&D on User-Optimized Data Provision for Remote Sensing Technology," a research and development project commissioned by the MIC.

*4 Regarding forecasts from "Fugaku," the app provides 3D visualizations and push notifications for up to 30 minutes in advance, while the website provides 2D forecasts.