Chinese scientist wins top global meteorology award

Chinese meteorological scientist and engineer Xu Jianmin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, received the 70th International Meteorological Organization Prize on Wednesday, becoming the latest Chinese expert to receive the World Meteorological Organization's highest honor.

Xu accepted the prize in Geneva during a session of the WMO Executive Council, where he also delivered a special presentation.

Established in 1955, the IMO Prize is regarded as the most prestigious award in global meteorology. It recognizes outstanding contributions to meteorology, climatology, hydrology and related sciences.

The award honors Xu's decades-long contributions to China's meteorological satellite program and highlights the country's growing strength in meteorological and space technologies.

A founder and pioneer of China's Fengyun meteorological satellite program, Xu played a leading role in charting the development roadmap for the country's satellite-based weather observation system. He spearheaded the development and launch of the Fengyun 1 polar-orbiting satellites and Fengyun 2 geostationary satellites, laying the foundation for China's modern meteorological satellite network.

Xu and his team also achieved breakthroughs in a range of core technologies, including high-precision satellite cloud-image positioning and image-stabilization techniques, helping transform Fengyun satellites into essential tools for weather forecasting, climate monitoring and disaster prevention.

Xu has also promoted the international application of Fengyun satellites. He helped optimize the orbit of the Fengyun 2H satellite, expanding geostationary weather observations over the Indian Ocean, and supported the launch of Fengyun 3E, the world's first civil meteorological satellite operating in an early-morning orbit, filling a key gap in global observation coverage.

According to the China Meteorological Administration, China's Fengyun satellite program has undergone rapid development in recent decades.

The country has launched 23 Fengyun satellites, with 10 currently in operational service. China is now the only nation operating civilian meteorological satellites across all four major near-Earth orbital observation periods.

The 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) awarded to Xu with the IMO Prize will be donated to establish the MAZU Prize, providing seed funding for the award's initial grants and operations, the CMA said.

MAZU — short for Multi-hazard, Alert, Zero-gap and Universal — is a China-initiated program aimed at promoting international cooperation in meteorological services and disaster risk reduction.

Named after the MAZU initiative, the MAZU Prize will recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Fengyun satellite applications and early-warning capacity building.

The prize is intended to promote international cooperation in disaster risk reduction and support the global implementation of the United Nations' Early Warnings for All initiative.

The MAZU program has already been implemented in seven countries, while more than 40 nations have gained access to its services through cloud-based platforms, according to the CMA.