News

2025

  • Maintenance of the antenna used for HimawariCast (4 February 2025)
      • The transmitting antenna used for the HimawariCast service will be maintained, during which it will be switched to a spare antenna. It will take about 30 minutes to switch the antenna, during which time the transmission will be suspended.
      • Antenna Switchover: March 7, 02:25-02:55 UTC
      • Antenna Switch Back: March 10, 02:25-02:55 UTC
  • Maintenance of the HimawariCast ground system (4 February 2025)
      • The upstream system of the Himawaricast service will be replaced. Test distribution with connection changes will be conducted in February, and the connection change will be implemented in March.
      Please note that there is a possibility of transmission interruptions during the connection change.
      • Test Period: February 10, 01:00-03:00 UTC
      • Switchover: March 10, 01:00-02:00 UTC
  • JCSAT-2B communications will be affected by sun interference during the 2025 spring equinox season. See Sun interference. (30 January 2025)

2024

  • HimawariCast Maintenance (20 December 2024)
      • JMA plans to replace parts of the ground segment used for the HimawariCast service in January 2025.
      Users do not need to make any related changes regarding this replacement.

      For related testing, HimawariCast data provision will be interrupted for up to 15 minutes during the following periods 1, 2, and 5, and up to 5 minutes during the following periods 3, and 4 on 25 December, 2024 (with 26 December as a backup day):
      • 1. 02:45 - 03:15 UTC (Observation IDs: P016 - P019)
      • 2. 04:15 - 04:45 UTC (Observation IDs: P025 - P028)
      • 3. 04:45 - 05:00 UTC (Observation IDs: P028 - P030)
      • 4. 05:25 - 05:40 UTC (Observation IDs: P032 - P034)
      • 5. 06:15 - 06:45 UTC (Observation IDs: P037 - P041)

      The actual replacement will also involve similar interruptions for up to 15 minutes during the following period on 8 January, 2025:
      • 02:45 - 03:15 UTC (Observation IDs: P016 - P019)
  • HimawariCast Maintenance (3 December 2024)
      • JMA plans to replace parts of the ground segment used for the HimawariCast service in January 2025.
      Users do not need to make any related changes regarding this replacement.

      For related testing, HimawariCast data provision will be interrupted for up to 15 minutes during the following periods 1, 2, and 5, and up to 5 minutes during the following periods 3, and 4 on 12 December, 2024:
      • 1. 02:45 - 03:15 UTC (Observation IDs: P016 - P019)
      • 2. 04:15 - 04:45 UTC (Observation IDs: P025 - P028)
      • 3. 04:45 - 05:00 UTC (Observation IDs: P028 - P030)
      • 4. 05:25 - 05:40 UTC (Observation IDs: P032 - P034)
      • 5. 06:15 - 06:45 UTC (Observation IDs: P037 - P041)

      The actual replacement will also involve similar interruptions for up to 15 minutes during the following period on 8 January, 2025:
      • 02:45 - 03:15 UTC (Observation IDs: P016 - P019)

2023

  • Update of the MSC ground system is scheduled as follows. (4 December 2023)
    • 01:15 - 01:24 UTC 11 December, 2023 (P007-P009)
      • Due to system update, HimawariCast data provision (some of P007, P008 and P009) will be delayed for up to 10 minutes during this period.
      In addition, some of the data may be canceled.
  • Maintenance of Himawari-9 (28 November 2023)
  • JCSAT-2B communications will be affected by sun interference during the 2023 autumn equinox season. See Sun interference. (31 August 2023)
  • JMA has released SATAID software (ver.3.3.0.1a) for receiving Metop-C/ASCAT data.
    See software for processing and displaying received data.
    Metop-C/ASCAT data will be distributed from May 30, 2023.
    If you have already downloaded SATAID software, Metop-C/ASCAT data can be displayed according to the attached file. (24 May 2023)
  • JCSAT-2B communications will be affected by sun interference during the 2023 spring equinox season. See Sun interference. (9 February 2023)

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

  • For our ground system maintenance, we will stop disseminating the SATAID format data in the HimawariCast service as below from 15:00 UTC to 17:00 UTC on January 16, 2018:
    - Numerical weather prediction products (GPV),
    - In-situ observations (SYNOP, TEMP, SHIP) ,
    - ASCAT ocean surface wind.
    Please note that Himawari-8/9 imagery (i.e. HRIT and LRIT files) will continue to be disseminated during this maintenance.
  • HimawariCast Newsletter No.5 is now available. (20 December 2017)
  • JMA has upgraded its SATAID program. See software for processing and displaying received data. (6 September 2017)
  • For our ground system maintenance, we will stop disseminating the SATAID format data in the HimawariCast service as below from 15:00 UTC to 17:00 UTC on August 22, 2017:
    • - Numerical weather prediction products (GPV),
    • - In-situ observations (SYNOP, TEMP, SHIP) ,
    • - ASCAT ocean surface wind.
      • Please note that Himawari-8/9 imagery (i.e. HRIT and LRIT files) will continue to be disseminated during this maintenance.
  • HimawariCast Newsletter No.4 is now available. (31 July 2017)
  • HimawariCast Newsletter No.3 is now available. (20 April 2017)

2016

  • HimawariCast Newsletter No.2 is now available. (8 November 2016)
  • How to configure SATAID version 3.1 for accurate calculation of cloud top height above 150 hPa. See Software for processing and displaying received data. (21 September 2016)
  • JCSAT-2B communications will be affected by sun interference during the 2016 autumn equinox season. See Sun interference. (18 August 2016)
  • HimawariCast Newsletter No.1 is now available. (15 July 2016)
  • JMA has upgraded its SATAID software with new functionality that allows RGB composite image display. See Software for processing and displaying received data. (6 June 2016)
  • The switchover from the JCSAT-2A communication satellite to its successor, JCSAT-2B is scheduled to take place between 03:00 UTC on 6 July and 03:00 UTC on 20 July. HimawariCast users will need to adjust their low-noise converter (LNB) settings. (18 May 2016)
  • JCSAT-2A communications will be affected by sun interference during the 2015 spring equinox season. See Sun interference. (10 February 2016)
  • Change reference LNBs according to Japanese page. (6 January 2016)

2015

  • The communication satellite switchover from JCSAT-2A to JCSAT-2B originally scheduled for Q4 of 2015 has been postponed for around six months. (11 September 2015)
  • JCSAT-2A communications will be affected by sun interference during the 2015 autumn equinox season. See Sun interference. (11 August 2015)
  • JMA will begin Himawari-8 imagery dissemination via the HimawariCast service at 02:00 UTC on 1 July 2015 before Himawari-8 officially enters operation on 7 July. See Schedule. (24 June 2015)
  • Himawari-8 imagery dissemination is rescheduled to begin at 02 UTC on 3 July. (2 July 2015)
  • In addition to 14 bands of Himawari-8 imagery, JMA will disseminate 1 band of high-spatial-resolution and high-bit-rate Himawari-8 infrared imagery at night. See Dataset. (24 June 2015)
  • JMA has released SATAID software for Himawari-8 multi-band imagery. See Software for processing and displaying received data. (24 June 2015)
  • JMA plans test dissemination of Himawari-8 imagery via the HimawariCast service. (12 March 2015)
  • JCSAT-2A communications will be affected by sun interference during the 2015 spring equinox season. See Sun interference. (23 February 2015)
  • MTSAT-2 imagery dissemination via the HimawariCast service began at 03:00 UTC on 29 January 2015. The service may be suspended without notice until Himawari-8 becomes operational. (29 January 2015)
  • JMA plans to disseminate Himawari-8 imagery via the HimawariCast service from mid-2015. The originally announced number of satellite bands to be disseminated will be increased. See Dataset. (29 January 2015)
  • JMA has released software to convert HRIT files into SATAID format for display on a PC. See Software for processing and displaying received data. (29 January 2015)
  • While registration is not required to use the HimawariCast service, registered users can receive service information and updates by e-mail from JMA. See Registration. (29 January 2015)