Advancing Convective Precipitation Nowcasting via 3D Polarimetric Radar Data and Physics‐Constrained Deep Learning Model

Read full text
Authors: Xiang Pan, Yinghui Lu, Hao Huang, Gang Chen, Ang Zhou, Kun Zhao
Cited by: 2
References: 28

Abstract

Abstract Accurate nowcasting of severe convective precipitation is critical for early warning yet still remains challenging. Although deep learning methods show promise, most models lack physical constraints, limiting their consistency with atmospheric processes. We introduce FURECast, a deep learning model that not only leverages three‐dimensional structure of polarimetric radar variables ( Z H , Z DR , K DP ) but also embeds their intrinsic self‐consistency relation as a physical constraint. The model employs an encoder‐translator‐decoder architecture, integrating multi‐level inputs via late fusion and evolving features through cascaded multiscale blocks. Moreover, a novel physical loss term is introduced to enforce microphysical consistency during training. Evaluated on S‐band (GD‐SPOL) and C‐band (NJU‐CPOL) radar data sets, FURECast achieves a 14.1% improvement in 90‐min critical success index (35 dBZ threshold) over the 2D reflectivity‐only baseline, while reducing physical inconsistency by two orders of magnitude. These results underscore the value of 3D polarimetric structure and physics‐guided learning in advancing convective precipitation nowcasting.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Precipitation Measurement and Analysis Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations Soil Moisture and Remote Sensing

Publication details

Journal / source
Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Volume
53
Issue
5
Publication date
26 February 2026
Language
EN