New Satellite Constellation Aims to Enhance Extreme Weather Forecasting
A multinational initiative involving the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMetSat) and the European Space Agency is deploying a series of advanced satellites over the next decade-and-a-half, designed to bolster weather forecasting capabilities and provide earlier warnings regarding increasingly severe meteorological events. The inaugural satellite in this program, Metop-SG A1, was successfully launched from French Guiana on Wednesday, marking the beginning of data collection slated to commence next year.
The project will ultimately place six satellites into a low-earth orbit, with a primary goal of refining both short and long-range weather predictions. This improved predictive capacity will assist scientists in tracking extreme weather patterns globally. According to Phil Evans, director general of EUMetSat, the constellation represents an essential advancement in safeguarding lives. He highlighted the significant financial and human toll of past extreme weather events across Europe – costing hundreds of billions of euros and tens of thousands of lives – citing recent instances such as storms Boris, Daniel, and Hans, alongside record-breaking heatwaves and wildfires.
The Metop-SG A1 satellite incorporates a Sentinel 5 mission component dedicated to air quality monitoring and long-term climate observation. Positioned approximately 800 kilometers above Earth’s surface, the satellite will complete an orbit every 100 minutes, traversing close to both polar regions and capturing imagery of the entire globe daily.
Beyond image acquisition, sophisticated instruments on board will gather data related to temperature, precipitation levels, cloud formations, wind patterns, pollution concentrations, and other relevant atmospheric factors crucial for weather prediction. This information will be relayed to ground stations – including a newly installed satellite tracking dish at Met Office headquarters in Exeter – providing invaluable insights for meteorologists.
Simon Keogh, head of space applications at the Met Office, emphasized the critical role of this enhanced data stream, noting that satellite observations currently contribute approximately 25% to existing forecast accuracy. He further explained that the next generation of satellites is essential not only to maintain current precision as older systems are phased out but also to significantly improve observation capabilities for future forecasting models. The expanded ability to anticipate high-impact weather occurrences earlier will safeguard infrastructure, bolster economic stability, and ultimately protect human lives. This development supports national adaptation strategies in response to the escalating climate crisis.
The announcement of a fourth summer heatwave on Tuesday, accompanied by amber health warnings and potential risk to life due to high temperatures, underscored the urgency for improved predictive capabilities. Global observations this year confirm that July ranked as the third-warmest recorded, punctuated by severe heatwaves and widespread flooding across multiple regions.
