Early warning systems for adverse weather are increasingly important in saving lives and preventing economic disasters. Thirty countries in Europe, including the UK, are partners in a satellite programme, Eumestat, which observes weather from space and provides early warning of potentially dangerous weather patterns so those on the ground can prepare for the worst.
Since the satellites can equally “see” the whole of Africa, which has among its 54 countries some of world’s poorest people and no chance of launching their own space hardware, the European programme has made its data available to that continent too.
