PiCNet: Physics-infused Convolution Network for Radar-Based Precipitation Nowcasting

Zheng Wang, Hanyi Zhang, Cong Bai

Abstract: Meteorological disasters, especially extreme precipitation, cause significant socioeconomic damage, highlighting the need for effective quantitative precipitation nowcasting. Existing methods, often data-driven and resource-intensive, struggle to capture the underlying physical laws of meteorology. This paper introduces a simple yet effective model using an advection simulator to learn precipitation’s physical dynamics, making the predictions more interpretable. Our model also incorporates a physics-guided module to enhance sensitivity to high-intensity rainfall, improving rainfall prediction accuracy. Experiments on the KNMI radar echo dataset demonstrate that our model outperforms state-of-the-art methods, offering better insights into physics-infused precipitation nowcasting.