Overview
Observations from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites are available across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and are an essential tool in weather forecasting. Many single channel and composite images and products are useful when heavy rainfall and flooding are a concern, particularly from the water vapour 6.2 µm and infrared 10.8 µm channels.
For the case, we'll examine MSG WV 6.2 µm channel images overlaid with ECMWF wind fields at 850 hPa, 700 hPa, and 500 hPa for 21 January 2010 at 12Z. The water vapour channel helps identify upper-level (400-hPa) moisture content and is particularly useful for locating upper-level cyclonic weather disturbances or upper-level lows. The wind barbs help us determine the location of the lows and, if any are present, identify their depth through the atmosphere, their intensity, and where the moisture is being drawn from to fuel any convective activity.
Throughout the following exercises, we'll refer to different parts of Southern Africa. If you're not familiar with the region, please refer to the "Southern Africa Maps" link to the left.