---
title: "Aurora 1.5: Extending open foundation models for weather and Earth-system applications"
slug: "aurora-15-extending-open-foundation-models-for-weather-and-earth-system-applications"
date: 2026-07-09
category: ai-provider
tags: [microsoft]
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/aurora-15-extending-open-foundation-models-for-weather-and-earth-system-applications
---

# Aurora 1.5: Extending open foundation models for weather and Earth-system applications

**Published**: 2026-07-09 | **Category**: ai-provider | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

- Microsoft released Aurora 1.5, an update to its open Earth-system foundation model for weather and climate applications.

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## Summary

- Microsoft released Aurora 1.5, an update to its open Earth-system foundation model for weather and climate applications. It adds 22 more variables, hourly forecasts, and probabilistic ensemble forecasting.
- The model is meant to forecast uncertainty, not just a single best guess. In Microsoft’s evaluation, Aurora 1.5 beats ECMWF ENS on 88.9 percent of tested variable-and-lead-time targets.
- Code and checkpoints are open on GitHub and Hugging Face. At the same time, Microsoft is wiring Aurora 1.5 into Foundry, Planetary Computer Pro, and Microsoft Weather services.
- Use cases include energy, agriculture, transport, storm planning, and carbon removal. The post is still heavy on Microsoft positioning, so independent validation will matter.

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## Why it matters

Microsoft released Aurora 1.5, an update to its open Earth-system foundation model for weather and climate applications. It adds 22 more variables, hourly forecasts, and probabilistic ensemble forecasting.

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## Key Points

- Microsoft released Aurora 1.5, an update to its open Earth-system foundation model for weather and climate applications. It adds 22 more variables, hourly forecasts, and probabilistic ensemble forecasting.
- The model is meant to forecast uncertainty, not just a single best guess. In Microsoft’s evaluation, Aurora 1.5 beats ECMWF ENS on 88.9 percent of tested variable-and-lead-time targets.
- Code and checkpoints are open on GitHub and Hugging Face. At the same time, Microsoft is wiring Aurora 1.5 into Foundry, Planetary Computer Pro, and Microsoft Weather services.
- Use cases include energy, agriculture, transport, storm planning, and carbon removal. The post is still heavy on Microsoft positioning, so independent validation will matter.

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## Nauti's Take

Aurora 1.5 is not chatbot candy. It is infrastructure AI for decisions where bad timing gets expensive. The valuable part is the ensemble layer: companies need probability ranges, not pretty forecast maps. The weak part is the packaging. Microsoft blends open research, product distribution, and partner storytelling so tightly that the benchmark claims need independent testing before they become operational truth.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is Aurora 1.5 about?

**A:** - Microsoft released Aurora 1.5, an update to its open Earth-system foundation model for weather and climate applications.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** Microsoft released Aurora 1.5, an update to its open Earth-system foundation model for weather and climate applications. It adds 22 more variables, hourly forecasts, and probabilistic ensemble forecasting.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** Microsoft released Aurora 1.5, an update to its open Earth-system foundation model for weather and climate applications. It adds 22 more variables, hourly forecasts, and probabilistic ensemble forecasting.. The model is meant to forecast uncertainty, not just a single best guess. In Microsoft’s evaluation, Aurora 1.5 beats ECMWF ENS on 88.9 percent of tested variable-and-lead-time targets.. Code and checkpoints are open on GitHub and Hugging Face. At the same time, Microsoft is wiring Aurora 1.5 into Foundry, Planetary Computer Pro, and Microsoft Weather services.

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## Related Topics

- [microsoft](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/microsoft)

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## Sources

- [Aurora 1.5: Extending open foundation models for weather and Earth-system applications](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/aurora-1-5-extending-open-foundation-models-for-weather-and-earth-system-applications/) - Microsoft Research Blog

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-07-09*