Powerful computers to help in weather, natural disaster predictions 

As the nation’s main organisation responsible for forecasting weather changes and natural disasters, TMD is constantly looking to improve the technology supporting its prediction modelling. 
The department needed a technology boost using high performance computing to fine-tune the accuracy with which it delivered weather predictions in the present, short and long term. It sought to improve efficiency, portability, maintenance, scalability and productivity in the department’s Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) Model, which supports atmospheric research and operational weather prediction
TMD selected Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Apollo 2000 servers, featuring the unique capability to store data using HPE 3PAR, a world-class storage array designed to 
work seamlessly with HPE Apollo. 
Boonlert Archevarahuprok, senior meteorologist, Thailand Meteorological Department said that the HPC-supported WRF system is expected to help TMD forecast rainfall within a four-square-kilometre spatial resolution and forecast weather more than seven days in advance, by month or by season. 
The high-performance 
computing system would also help deliver intelligence that will help TMD support the development of government policies in areas such as sustainable water management and improve overall protection against natural disasters. 
“HPE stood out with an innovative hybrid IT solution that met our needs and delivered a solution that helped us support our mission-critical business functions and deliver on the needs of the country,” said Boonlert.
Palasilp Vichivanives, managing director, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Thailand, said the TMD was looking for a solution to manage unpredictable mixed workloads to enable accurate weather forecasting. 
The company’s customised solution delivers a flexible, scalable and cost-effective configuration for the TMD to accelerate performance of their mission-critical applications and improve forecasting, he said.