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

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.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
Published
2026-02-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gl120431
Primary Topic
Precipitation Measurement and Analysis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

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

Yinghui Lu, Hao Huang, Xiang Pan, Yingyu Zhou et al.
Geophysical Research Letters
Precipitation Measurement and Analysis
article

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

Yinghui Lu, Hao Huang, Xiang Pan, Yingyu Zhou, Kun Zhao, Gang Chen
article en

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.

Geophysical Research LettersVol. 53(5)
Qinghai University (CN), Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (CN), Jiangsu Institute of Meteorological Sciences (CN), Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (CN), Qinghai Meteorological Institute (CN), Nanjing University (CN)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 48%
Precipitation Measurement and Analysis
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.