WATCHING THE WEATHER

What will tomorrow’s weather bring? Regular, accurate weather forecasts are crucial to many activities: aviation, shipping, agriculture, fishing, construction, and even sport and leisure.

Meteorological satellites provide data on weather systems by using instruments to monitor clouds and winds, measure temperatures and pressures and many other surface conditions on land, sea and in the air. Today, a new generation of Meteosat satellites is providing more timely and accurate weather data.

Weather and climate are intimately connected. MetOp, the first European meteorological satellite in polar orbit, is studying both weather and long-term climatology – providing data on the atmosphere, clouds, temperature, humidity, ozone levels and wind flow.

Both Meteosat and MetOp are the result of the cooperation between ESA and EUMETSAT to provide better knowledge about our planet’s weather and climate. The definition and the planning for the next generation of meteorological satellites – Meteosat Third Generation, MTG – have already begun.