The Gaofen 4 high-resolution Earth observation satellite officially started operating on Monday to facilitate disaster relief and environmental pollution control.

Zheng Guoguang, head of the China Meteorological Administration, said Gaofen 4 is at least 10 times more efficient than the Fengyun satellites, which are pillars of the nation's space-based weather observation system. He said the strong capability of Gaofen 4 will substantially improve the administration's detection and response to extreme weather such as typhoons and rainstorms.

"We will use it to monitor floods and rainstorms in the south. It will also be used to forecast the weather during the G20 Summit in Hangzhou in September," Zheng said.