Satellite Views
Latest 2 hour animations from Meteosat 12 • click the picture to enlarge
Choose a view below. Each is a two hour animation of the latest Meteosat Third Generation imagery, centred on the UK and Ireland (the infrared view covers western Europe).
What Each View Shows
Infrared shows cloud by temperature, day and night: the colder (higher) the cloud, the brighter it appears. Visible and True colour show the scene as the eye would see it, but only in daylight. The Sandwich view paints the infrared cloud-top temperature on top of the visible picture, which makes tall storm clouds stand out. Water vapour shows moisture in the upper air even when there is no cloud, so dry slots and jet stream shapes show up. The Air mass view uses colour to separate warm moist air from cold dry air, useful for spotting fronts and developing lows.