In a significant leap forward for meteorology, the preliminary data obtained by Meteosat Third Generation’s two instruments, the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and the Lightning Imager (LI), were successfully combined for the first time – highlighting their complementary capabilities. This first set of animations gives us a preview of the system’s future impact.

The animation shown here combines data from the Meteosat Third Generation’s Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) and the Lightning Imager (LI), starting at 12:00 UTC on 03 June 2023 and ending at 12:00 UTC of 04 June 2023.

Detections are visible far from the camera's central field of view, such as near the disc's edge above the Amazon Rainforest. This animation illustrates the Intertropical Convergence Zone, where clusters of tropical thunderstorms slowly move from the East to the West.

If the waters are sufficiently warm between June and November, some of the larger storm clusters can develop into hurricanes affecting the Caribbean and the eastern United States. The animation also clearly depicts that most of the lightning occurs over land and during the local afternoon and evening hours.

This is preliminary commissioning data, not for operational use. For more information: A forecasting revolution on its way