A Graph Neural Network Approach for Localized and High-Resolution Temperature Forecasting

Heatwaves are intensifying worldwide and are among the deadliest weather disasters. The burden falls disproportionately on marginalized populations and the Global South, where under-resourced health systems, exposure to urban heat islands, and the lack of adaptive infrastructure amplify risks. Yet current numerical weather prediction models often fail to capture micro-scale extremes, leaving the most vulnerable excluded from timely early warnings. We present a Graph Neural Network framework for localized, high-resolution temperature forecasting. By leveraging spatial learning and efficient computation, our approach generates forecasts at multiple horizons, up to 48 hours. For Southwestern Ontario, Canada, the model captures temperature patterns with a mean MAE of 1.93°C across 1–48h forecasts and MAE@48 h of 2.93°C, evaluated using 24h input windows on the largest region. While demonstrated here in a data-rich context, this work lays the foundation for transfer learning approaches that could enable localized, equitable forecasts in data-limited regions of the Global South.