New Satellite for better Weather Forecasts

A multi-year project to improve weather forecasting and climate monitoring starts (13 December), with the launch of a new satellite by EUMETSAT and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Launching from French Guiana, the Meteosat Third Generation Imager (MTG-I1) is the first satellite to be launched as part of a wider project to revolutionise and safeguard weather forecasting across Europe for the next 20 years, improving short-term weather forecasting, as well as long-term climate monitoring.

The imaging satellite is the first in a series of six satellites to launch as part of the project. Satellite data is the largest contributor to numerical weather prediction accuracy and imagery is used by meteorologists to assess developing weather patterns.

Positioned 36,000km above the Earth and providing a view of Europe and Africa, MTG-I1 will host the first ever lightning imager covering the region, vastly improving short-range ‘nowcasting’ for developing impactful convective systems.

Click here to read full article ...