The China Meteorological Administration released the first images from the newly launched Fengyun-4C satellite ahead of World Meteorological Day observed on Monday, showcasing the nation's capability to monitor conditions from the sun to Earth in near real time.

Launched on Dec 27 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, the satellite began its in-orbit tests in early January. It is currently the world's most capable single geostationary meteorological satellite in orbit in terms of comprehensive observation capabilities, according to the administration.

The deployment of the Fengyun-4C follows the central government's high-level policy directives, calling for more robust monitoring of extreme weather conditions and stronger efforts for disaster prevention.

The administration said the satellite is designed to strengthen the "first line of defense" against meteorological disasters and is expected to enter its operational trial phase by this year's primary flood season.

"The FY-4C will significantly improve our early warning capabilities for small — and medium-scale weather systems," the administration said in a statement on Saturday.

The satellite carries six payloads that meet advanced international standards. Images released by the administration show clear textures and detailed features of weather conditions captured by its geostationary radiation imager.

The imager produced detailed animations of short-wave trough cloud systems moving from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region toward Beijing, allowing forecasters to distinguish high-level cirrus clouds with unprecedented clarity, the administration said.

An interference-based vertical atmospheric sounder provided refined spectral data, capturing more temperature layers than previous models, it said, adding that the data is expected to improve the accuracy of global numerical weather prediction models.

A lightning imager also mapped convective activity over South Asia, monitoring storm cells and lightning events in Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to the statement.

Furthermore, new ultraviolet and X-ray sensors captured solar flares and ionospheric glow phenomena, helping mitigate the impact of solar activity on global communication, navigation and positioning systems.

The Fengyun-4C is set to become a primary data source for MAZU, China's artificial intelligence-powered early warning system. When the satellite reaches its full service mode, it will support international efforts in global monitoring, forecasting and environmental governance, the administration said.

Chen Zhenlin, director of the China Meteorological Administration, said that China has built the world's largest and most comprehensive meteorological observation system, featuring coordinated monitoring across land, sea, air and space.

"With 10 Fengyun weather satellites currently in orbit, China is the only country with meteorological satellites covering four near-Earth orbital types," he said.

zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn