Weather room at ECMWF

ESA’s Aeolus satellite has been returning profiles of Earth’s winds since it was launched in August 2018 – and after months of careful testing these measurements are considered so good that the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts is now using them in their forecasts. It is extremely unusual for a completely new type of satellite data to be ready for practical use in forecasts so soon after launch. Nevertheless, this extraordinary satellite has surpassed expectations and, as of 9 January 2020, Aeolus will be improving our forecasts, from one-day forecasts to those forecasting the weather more than a week ahead.