The European weather observation satellite

For more than 20 years, millions of people have watched daily weather forecasts prepared from Meteosat images, showing high- and low-pressure zones, and movement of cloud masses on their home TV screens.

In addition to daily forecasts, data supplied by Meteosat are essential for predicting violent weather such as hurricanes, storms and floods, and for monitoring long-term changes in our planet's climate.

Meteosat satellites, placed in geostationary orbit, maintain a constant position above a given point on the Earth to provide continuous observation of the same portion of the globe. These satellites thus offer an unprecedented view of Europe and Africa, as well as of the eastern Atlantic, and cover about 42% of the Earth's surface.

This ESA programme is part of the worldwide atmospheric observation system established by the WMO (World Meteorology Organization) in the mid 1970s. Combined observations by Meteosat and other satellites in this international meteorology system ensure global monitoring of the weather.

Since 1977, seven satellites of the Meteosat family have been launched. MSG, followed by a new generation of satellites MSG (Meteosat Second Generation).

_{Last updated: August 2009}