Aurora 1.5 Released: Expanding Open Foundation Models for Weather and Earth System Applications

Aurora 1.5 is an updated open foundation model from Microsoft Research. Key improvements include 22 additional variables, hourly temporal resolution, and probabilistic ensemble forecasting. These updates extend the model from single deterministic predictions to multiple probabilistic outputs, better suited for decision-making under uncertainty in real-world scenarios. The new variables cover more atmospheric and surface parameters, while hourly resolution supports finer short-term forecasts. For professionals in weather forecasting, climate research, and renewable energy scheduling (e.g., wind and solar power prediction), Aurora 1.5 provides higher spatiotemporal precision and probabilistic outputs, helping assess extreme weather risks and optimize operational decisions. The model retains Aurora's open-weight approach, allowing academic and commercial teams to deploy or fine-tune it, reducing reliance on proprietary weather models.