EUMETSAT Annual Report 2022

EUMETSAT ANNUAL REPORT 2022
Case study
The eyes
on a storm
On 24 December 1963,
Météo-France’s Satellite
Meteorology Research
Centre received a Christmas
present forecasters had
been dreaming of: the first
weather satellite image
ever processed by
a European centre.
Fast-forward nearly six decades and meteorologists
are eagerly awaiting the next big moment in
European weather forecasting history, the first image
from Meteosat Third Generation’s inaugural imaging
satellite, which was launched on 13 December 2022.
New ways of forecasting
extreme events
“It’s been a long time in the making, and it will
be really exciting to see the first images beamed
back to Earth,” Sylvain Le Moal, Head of Satellite
Applications, Imagery, and Innovation at Météo-
France’s Satellite Meteorology Centre (CMS), said.
“Meteosat Third Generation satellites will
provide invaluable observations for users such
as meteorologists, national weather centres,
scientific researchers, and the media. Services and
products making use of the data will provide new
ways of tracking lightning and more effective means
of pinpointing fire hotspots. It will also help scientists
build long-term records that can guide responses
to the global climate crisis.”
Applications that will benefit in particular include
nowcasting – very short-range forecasting that can
project how fast developing and highly dangerous
weather events such as storms will evolve in the
coming minutes and hours.
The satellite constellation will also provide a major
boost to numerical weather prediction, helping to
extend the accuracy of weather forecasts into the future.
“The first priority for numerical weather prediction
models is to know what the state of the atmosphere
is right now,” Le Moal said.
“Meteosat Third Generation’s sounder satellite,
for instance, will provide regular measurements –
up to every 30 minutes – on aspects such as
humidity and temperature from the ground to
the top of the atmosphere.
“These data will be invaluable for weather
forecasting tools such as France’s small-scale
numerical prediction model, AROME. The AROME
model has been designed to improve forecasts of
severe events such as violent and localised storms,
fog, and extreme urban heat. Meteosat Third
Generation will greatly improve the data we feed
into the model.”
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