China releases first set of images from FY-3H meteorological satellite

News
31 October 2025

WMO congratulates the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) on the successful release of the first set of images from the FY-3H meteorological satellite, marking another major milestone in advancing the global Earth observation system.

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Satellite view of Asia showing diverse landscapes including deserts, mountains, forests, and bodies of water, with snow covering the northern regions.
Clear-sky composite image of Asia captured by Medium Resolution Spectral Imager-III (MERSI-III) onboard FY-3H (from October 9 to 21, 2025)
Credits to the National Satellite Meteorological Centre of CMA

The launch and initial data from FY-3H demonstrate CMA’s strong commitment to enhancing meteorological satellite capabilities and contributing to the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS).

The timing of this achievement coincided with the 15th Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users Conference (AOMSUC-15) and the 2025 FENGYUN International Users Conference in Qingdao, Shandong.

The conference, hosted by CMA and China National Space Administration, brought together experts and scholars from more than 50 countries. It focused on the pivotal role of meteorological satellite technology in global early warning systems, aiming to further enhance the international application efficiency of Fengyun meteorological satellites and promote innovation and collaboration in the sharing of meteorological satellite data and services worldwide.

“FY-3H data will significantly strengthen early warning and climate monitoring capabilities, particularly across the Asia-Oceania region and beyond. This highlights the importance highlights the importance of international cooperation and capacity development in satellite meteorology,” said Natalia Donohoe, Chief WMO Space Systems and Utilization.

“ WMO looks forward to continued collaboration with CMA and partners within the WMO-CGMS framework to ensure that the new FENGYUN observations benefit all Members, especially developing countries, through open data access and user training,” she said.

Currently, six out of the nine remote sensing instruments onboard FY-3H have been activated and are in in-orbit testing. The first set of images have been acquired based on the observational data from some of its already-activated payloads onboard. Building on its capability for multi-element atmospheric remote sensing detection, including temperature, humidity, clouds, FY-3H will simultaneously acquire remote sensing information on global greenhouse gases, auroras, and others.

Zhang Zuqiang, CMA Deputy Administrator, said he hoped that this conference would serve as an opportunity to actively advance the implementation of the United Nations’Early Warnings for All initiative, contributing even greater efforts to building resilience.