Physics-guided neural network integrating uncertainty evolution for spatiotemporal wind speed prediction

Accurate short-term wind forecasts are important for wind power operation, grid scheduling, and intelligent energy control, but wind speed changes are difficult to predict because they vary across space, time, and height. Here we show that a physics-guided neural network improves the prediction of three-dimensional wind speed fields by learning both data patterns and the physical consistency of wind evolution. The model combines information across time, space, and height, and uses physical constraints to guide the learning of wind speed, wind direction, and spatial structure. Tests show that the model predicts wind speed more accurately than current machine-learning methods within a twenty-four-hour forecast period at both ten-metre and one-hundred-metre heights. Compared with a leading numerical weather forecasting system, it gives more accurate wind speed forecasts within five hours and more accurate wind direction forecasts within twelve hours. The model also exhibits strong regional generalization and temporal robustness, providing support for practical wind power applications. Short-term forecasts of wind speed and direction across heights and regions are more accurate than those from existing data-driven models and a leading weather forecasting system, according to a physics-guided neural network for three-dimensional wind field prediction.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Communications Earth & Environment
Published
2026-07-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03844-x
Primary Topic
Energy Load and Power Forecasting
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Physics-guided neural network integrating uncertainty evolution for spatiotemporal wind speed prediction

Junkai Wang, Hanqing Zhao, Qiong Li, Hangyi Yu et al.
Communications Earth & Environment
Energy Load and Power Forecasting
article

Physics-guided neural network integrating uncertainty evolution for spatiotemporal wind speed prediction

Junkai Wang, Hanqing Zhao, Qiong Li, Hangyi Yu, Yupu Yang, Lianlei Lin, Yiming Ren, Yu Zhang, Sheng Gao, Zongwei Zhang
article en

Abstract

Accurate short-term wind forecasts are important for wind power operation, grid scheduling, and intelligent energy control, but wind speed changes are difficult to predict because they vary across space, time, and height. Here we show that a physics-guided neural network improves the prediction of three-dimensional wind speed fields by learning both data patterns and the physical consistency of wind evolution. The model combines information across time, space, and height, and uses physical constraints to guide the learning of wind speed, wind direction, and spatial structure. Tests show that the model predicts wind speed more accurately than current machine-learning methods within a twenty-four-hour forecast period at both ten-metre and one-hundred-metre heights. Compared with a leading numerical weather forecasting system, it gives more accurate wind speed forecasts within five hours and more accurate wind direction forecasts within twelve hours. The model also exhibits strong regional generalization and temporal robustness, providing support for practical wind power applications. Short-term forecasts of wind speed and direction across heights and regions are more accurate than those from existing data-driven models and a leading weather forecasting system, according to a physics-guided neural network for three-dimensional wind field prediction.

Communications Earth & Environment
Harbin Institute of Technology (CN), University of Glasgow (GB)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Energy Load and Power Forecasting
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.

Physics-guided neural network integrating uncertainty evolution for spatiotemporal wind speed prediction — Junkai Wang, Hanqing Zhao, et al. · Communications Earth & Environment (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS