Rabat – The Moroccan General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) has upgraded its weather monitoring systems with the introduction of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite system.
MDG announced the news in a statement on Thursday, saying that the new state-of-the-art system replaces the older Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) system.
This upgrade brings advanced features set to help Morocco monitor the weather more accurately and predict extreme events more effectively, according to the statement.
It added that the MTG system is one of the most advanced weather satellites in the world. Among the improvements it offers over its predecessor is that it is faster and takes clearer images.
The weather authority explained that the satellite takes pictures of the earth every 10 minutes with a 1-kilometer resolution. This is much faster and more detailed than the previous system, which took images every 15 minutes at a 3-kilometer resolution.
In addition, it offers better observations with 16 observation channels. This enables the MTG to detect and analyze more weather conditions compared to the 12 channels of the MSG.
And for the first time, the MTG can detect and track lightning almost instantly. This would help meteorologists monitor storms and provide faster warnings to people in at-risk areas.
The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) announced on December 4 that the MTG system is fully operational and is being disseminated to national meteorological services.
“MTG is one of the most innovative and complex meteorological satellite systems ever built,” EUMETSAT Director-General Phil Evans said.
DGM noted that the new system represents “a significant advancement in accessing ultra-high precision satellite data.”
The directorate concluded its statement by stressing that the new system will help it “strengthen its role in anticipating meteorological risks, serving the safety and well-being of all.”
