The new weather satellite Meteosat Third Generation Sounder 1 (MTG-S1) was successfully launched yesterday evening by EUMETSAT, the European organization for the development and management of weather satellites. The new weather satellite is the first European sounding satellite in a fixed orbit above the Earth (geostationary), from 36,000 kilometers high. It is a kind of weather station in space that can measure temperature, humidity, ozone, and air pollution at different atmospheric layers.

The satellite is equipped with two instruments: the infrared sounder (IRS) and the Copernicus Sentinel-4. The infrared sounder will help meteorologists make better weather forecasts, particularly the short-term forecast of the formation of showers or thunderstorms. Sentinel-4 observes gases from space and measures fine particulate matter. With this data, air quality forecasts will be improved, and emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) can be mapped more accurately. The instruments are expected to be operational within a year and a half. 

Infrared sounder delivers data every 30 minutes 

The new weather satellite is equipped with a new instrument: the infrared sounder (IRS). This instrument is designed to assist in making weather forecasts using computer models. The IRS will provide information about temperature profiles, humidity, and ozone from space, with an exceptionally detailed horizontal resolution of about 7 kilometers above the Netherlands and a vertical resolution of about 1 kilometer. An important innovation of the IRS is the frequent measurements: every 30 minutes, information about temperature and moisture profiles over Europe will be received. These frequent measurements, combined with high resolution, can mean a breakthrough for regional weather forecasts. The IRS will also provide data on aerosols, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide over Europe and Africa every 60 minutes. 

Better short-term forecasting for storms with heavy precipitation 

The coverage of the IRS extends to at least 60 degrees north latitude, meaning the Netherlands is fully within reach. This data is important for short-term forecasts of events with (heavy) precipitation, particularly those over the sea that may develop into storms or thunderstorms. Currently, we receive little data on this. The information from the IRS will not only be incorporated into the models of the ECMWF but will also be used directly in the KNMI weather model Harmonie. This will make short-term precipitation forecasts at the regional level more accurate.