New Surface Solar Radiation Climate Data Record (SARAH-3) now available

The EUMETSAT CM SAF is happy to announce the release of the third edition of the Surface Radiation Data Set - Heliosat (SARAH-3): http://dx.doi.org/10.5676/EUM_SAF_CM/SARAH/V003

SARAH-3 provides high-quality satellite-based information on surface solar radiation parameters since 1983 covering Europe, Africa, parts of South America as well as the corresponding ocean areas. SARAH-3 has a spatial resolution of 0.05° x 0.05° and is based on the MVIRI and SEVIRI sensors onboard the METEOSAT satellite series. SARAH-3 covers the time period from 1983 to 2020 as climate data record (CDR) and is operationally extended as interim climate data record (ICDR) to the present with a latency of 5 days.
Seven parameters are provided as part of SARAH-3:

• Global radiation / surface irradiance (SIS)
• Direct radiation (SID)
• Direct normalized radiation (DNI)
• Sunshine duration (SDU)
• Photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) - new
• Daylight (DAL) - new
• Effective cloud albedo (CAL)
  

All data records are available as monthly mean products (monthly sum in the case of SDU) and daily mean products (daily sum in the case of SDU). For the SIS, SID, DNI, PAR, DAL and CAL data records also instantaneous data are provided every 30 min.
The CM SAF SARAH data record series is widely used in many application areas. These areas of application include climate monitoring and analysis, validation of climate models, quality control of surface measurements, and the estimation of the photovoltaic energy potential and its temporal variability and trend. Data from previous editions of SARAH are also used as input parameters for agro- and hydrometeorological models. The release of the new SARAH-3 data record is expected to further enhance the application of the CM SAF surface solar radiation data records.

JT / May2023