In May 2022, we released our satellite and radar maps archive. The historical satellite and radar maps go back until December 2019, and they provide access to seamless, global and high-resolution images in 15-minute time steps.
In our last news about the historical satellite map, we also asked for feedback on how these maps can be used. We are grateful for the replies we have received and therefore want to share two specific case studies:
Hunga-Tonga volcano eruption
The undersea Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano is located 65 kilometres north of Tonga, an island in the South Pacific. The eruption on the 15th of January 2022 was one of the most significant volcano eruptions of the last years. Seeing the explosion in such a high resolution on the satellite images is stunning.
The eruption caused a Tsunami and covered Tonga and surrounding islands in ash, causing massive damage to the infrastructure there. One of our most experienced users, the former director of the Central Weather Service Potsdam, Dr Manfred Reiber, analysed whether the volcano eruption was also noticeable in Europe because the water vapour and ash were blasted far into the atmosphere.
For his analysis, he used a weather station in the Southern Black Forest. The air pressure diagram clearly shows significant and rapid, high-frequency pressure fluctuations, which could also be measured here due to the "explosive force" of the volcano. The first oscillation is highlighted in red and displays the first pressure wave, followed by strong fluctuations in the following hours (marked in green). One day later, a second pressure wave arrived from the opposite direction. This analysis demonstrates that the effects of the volcano eruption were noticeable worldwide.
Thunderstorm in Websweiler in Germany
On the evening of 19th May 2022, a large thunderstorm passed over Southwestern Germany and caused heavy damage, including broken trees, uncovered roofs and many property damages. Luckily, there were no personal injuries.
The thunderstorm was preceded by a heat wave with temperatures above 30°C, which is rather untypical for that time of the year in Germany. The hot and humid air became more unstable, leading to the formation of violent thunderstorms. The extent and intensity of the thunderstorm can also be seen in our historical satellite and radar map.
We are always delighted to receive such revealing weather stories and to see how our weather data can be used for different applications. We, therefore, always appreciate your feedback and look forward to receiving some more stunning weather stories!
