Africa has gained direct access to next-generation weather satellite data, with the African Meteorological Satellite Application Facility (AMSAF) and expanded EUMETCast-Africa services now delivering near real-time Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) data across the continent.
Launched on the 18th of May, 2026, at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, AMSAF is designed to strengthen the capacity of African meteorological and hydrological services to access and use advanced satellite data for nowcasting, early warning and disaster preparedness. The facility, developed under the Strengthening Early Warning Systems in Africa (SEWA) project, marks a major step in Africa’s efforts to predict and respond to climate-induced hazards through space-based technology.
Expanded Access Through EUMETCast-AfricaAs part of the rollout, EUMETSAT is expanding access to MTG data across Africa by increasing bandwidth on its operational EUMETCast-Africa dissemination system. This upgrade enhances data availability for meteorological services and forecasting centres, enabling more African institutions to receive and exploit near real-time satellite observations.
EUMETCast is EUMETSAT’s primary mechanism for the near real-time delivery of satellite data and products, transmitted via satellite networks including EUMETCast Africa. The upgraded service ensures that African users can access data from EUMETSAT’s most advanced meteorological satellites, including the MTG constellation, with guaranteed operational timeliness.
The Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellites provide observations over the entire African continent on a continuous and frequent basis, with coverage expected to last for the next two decades. Products from the first MTG satellite, MTG-I1 (launched in 2022), began being disseminated to Africa via EUMETCast Africa in July 2025.
MTG data will help enhance early warning systems across Africa by expanding access to timely data, building regional nowcasting capacity and supporting African-led solutions. The improved resolution and frequency of MTG observations enable more accurate short-term forecasting—known as nowcasting—which is critical for predicting severe weather events and issuing timely alerts.
A key objective of the SEWA project and AMSAF is to shift from dependency towards African ownership of early warning capabilities. The initiative brings together partners including the African Union Commission, the European Union, EUMETSAT, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Kenya Meteorological Service Authority, alongside technical consortium members led by the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Through SEWA, partners are deploying MTG-based nowcasting tools, establishing regional capability centres via AMSAF, building long-term capacity and expanding access via EUMETCast Africa. The upgraded PUMA 2025 stations are also being deployed to enable reliable access to MTG data across Regional Association I countries.
For African countries, direct access to next-generation satellite data represents a significant boost to climate resilience and disaster risk reduction. By strengthening early warning systems and improving the ability to predict extreme weather, the initiative aims to save lives and protect livelihoods from the growing impacts of climate change.
The combination of expanded data access, regional capacity building and African-led solutions positions Africa to better manage weather-related risks. As AMSAF and related programmes mature, the continent is expected to develop a more self-reliant and effective early warning ecosystem.
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