Aurora 1.5: Extending open foundation models for weather and Earth-system applications
Microsoft Aurora 1.5 now forecasts 22 more Earth variables. Here's why energy companies should care.
Why it matters
Microsoft is extending its open foundation model for weather/climate with higher temporal resolution and ensemble forecasting—a capability gap that matters for renewable energy planning and climate risk modeling. This positions Azure as a serious alternative to closed-model weather APIs.
The key facts
11 to knowAurora 1.5 adds 22 additional variables vs. previous version
Hourly temporal resolution (improved from coarser granularity)
Probabilistic ensemble forecasting capability shipped
Open foundation model released by Microsoft Research
Target applications: weather, climate, energy systems
Aurora 1.5 adds 22 new variables to foundation model
Hourly temporal resolution (vs. previous coarser granularity)
Probabilistic ensemble forecasting capability added
Open foundation model (Microsoft Research)
Target applications: weather, climate, energy forecasting
Published via Microsoft Research (official channel)
Go to the source
Microsoft Researchmicrosoft.com
Publisher excerpt: Aurora 1.5 adds 22 more variables, hourly temporal resolution, and probabilistic ensemble forecasting to the Aurora foundation model, making it more useful for real-world weather, climate, and energy applications.