The UK is building the world’s most advanced climate computers. It will cost 15 billion Swedish kronor

The British government has decided that the country will build the world’s most advanced supercomputer to perform calculations related to weather and climate, according to Bloomberg News.

It is believed that the next supercomputer will cost 1.2 billion pounds, which is equivalent to just over 15 billion Swedish kronor. The idea is that the supercomputer will replace the UK’s current climate supercomputer system, a system that is today considered one of the 50 most powerful supercomputer systems in the world. It consists of three Cray 40 supercomputers, one of which you can see in the photo above. On investment, British Minister Alok Sharma says:

“Come rain or shine, our major investment in a new supercomputer will speed up weather forecasts, helping people be better prepared for weather disruption from planning travel to deploying flood defenses.”

The idea is that the new supercomputer will replace the current Met Office system of the UK’s National Weather Service over ten years starting in 2022. There is no word yet on which companies will build the computer.