# WeatherNext 3 Adds Hourly Forecasts and Selected 5 km Fields

Times of AI Desk · 2026-09-03 · Research

[https://timesof.ai/2026/09/google-weathernext-3](https://timesof.ai/2026/09/google-weathernext-3)

> Google announced hourly WeatherNext 3 forecasts, with selected surface variables at 5 km resolution, beginning rollout across Search, Gemini and Maps. Google cites Brightband’s evaluation for its leading-accuracy claim.

**Correction / update, October 14, 2026:** Only selected surface variables use a 5 km grid. The model also uses traditional analysis; rollout and the Google-relayed Brightband ranking are now qualified.

Weather is one of the few AI products users feel daily. An hourly model with selected **5 km** fields, beginning rollout across **Search and Maps**, extends Google’s reach.

**Google DeepMind** and **Google Research** (September 3) published **WeatherNext 3**. It uses **live geostationary satellites and station observations alongside traditional analysis**. It provides **hourly forecasts**, compared with WeatherNext 2’s **six-hour** intervals. Selected surface variables use **5 km** grids, five times finer than the prior **25 km** grid; other surface variables use **10 km** grids and atmospheric fields remain at **25 km**. Precip CRPS up to **60%** vs IMERG, **30%** MRMS, **10%** gauges at early leads; consumer surfaces “up to **50%** more accurate” precip, biggest gains in historically weak regions. Adds **100 m winds** + **solar radiation** for renewables. Google cites **Brightband** live evaluations for its most-accurate-global-model claim; the ranking was not independently verified here. Rollout began across **Search, Gemini, Maps, Maps Platform Weather API and Earth Engine**, with forecast data accessible through **BigQuery, Earth Engine and GCS**. Paper: **arXiv:2609.03582**.

WeatherNext 3 is a science and weather model, rather than a conversational model.

## Limits

- The live Brightband leaderboard was not independently inspected for this article; Google’s ranking claim is attributed, not a verified current rank.
- Consumer “up to 50% more accurate” is Google’s framing of precip gains.

## Sources

- [Google: Introducing WeatherNext 3 (September 3, 2026)](https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-deepmind/introducing-weathernext-3/)
- [arXiv:2609.03582](https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03582)