This viewer uses data provided via the EUMETView WMS service and used under the EUMETSAT Core Data (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International) licence.
About this satellite data
This page displays a sequence of hourly satellite images covering the past 12 hours, providing a clear view of how cloud patterns and atmospheric features have evolved over time.
These images are delivered via the EUMETView Web Map Service (WMS) operated by EUMETSAT. The underlying data comes from the SEVIRI instrument aboard the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, which continuously scan Europe and the North Atlantic.
The WMS service provides openly licensed Core Data under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, allowing public display with attribution. Imagery updates throughout the day at the standard SEVIRI cadence, and this viewer automatically selects the frame closest to each hour to create a clear, consistent timeline. The page typically refreshes with new data at around twenty minutes past each hour.
Different channels highlight different aspects of the atmosphere:
IR 10.8 µm (Infrared)
Shows the temperature of cloud tops. Bright white areas are very cold, high clouds such as thunderstorms or deep frontal cloud. Grey shades indicate mid-level cloud. Dark grey or black means low cloud or clear skies. Works day and night.
WV 6.2 µm (Water Vapour)
Shows moisture high in the atmosphere. White or light grey = moist air aloft. Dark grey or black = very dry air, often linked to jet-stream features or descending air. Useful for spotting upper-level troughs, jet streaks, and developing weather systems.
Natural Colour RGB - daytime only
A near-true-colour view of the Earth. Land, sea, vegetation, and cloud types appear in colours close to what you'd see from space. Helpful for identifying snow cover, dust, smoke, and cloud textures. Not available at night.
Fog / Low Clouds RGB
Designed to separate fog from low stratus, which look similar in normal satellite images. Fog often appears pale grey or pinkish-white. Low cloud tends to look duller or slightly yellowish. Higher cloud appears darker. Very useful on winter mornings.
Snow RGB - daytime only
Helps distinguish snow on the ground from cloud. Snow and ice usually appear light blue or cyan. Cloud appears white or grey-white. Bare ground shows natural brown or green tones. Only works in daylight.