Weatherwatch: satellite weather data plays growing role in saving lives

Early warning systems for adverse weather are increasingly important in saving lives and preventing economic disasters. Thirty countries in Europe, including the UK, are partners in a satellite programme, Eumestat, which observes weather from space and provides early warning of potentially dangerous weather patterns so those on the ground can prepare for the worst.

Since the satellites can equally “see” the whole of Africa, which has among its 54 countries some of world’s poorest people and no chance of launching their own space hardware, the European programme has made its data available to that continent too.

The images from space are beautiful and startling. One of the more recent shows desert dust from the Sahara being carried across the Mediterranean and deposited on Italy and Greece. This dust can cause flight delays and, when it drops on populated areas, respiratory problems. When the dust falls in the sea it has a fertiliser effect and causes algae blooms of phytoplankton, which in turn feed fish.

The amount of detail that is gathered, including an hourly check on sea surface temperature, helps to predict day-to-day weather patterns but also climate trends and potential forthcoming extreme events. Eumetsat’s website allows anyone to view the Earth in real time from its many satellites.