Chinese Meteorologist Xu Jianmin Wins Meteorology’s ‘Nobel Prize’

GENEVA — Chinese meteorologist and academician Xu Jianmin was awarded the 70th International Meteorological Organization (IMO) Prize on June 24 at the World Meteorological Organization headquarters in Geneva, receiving the highest honor in global meteorology for his pioneering work in satellite meteorology and weather forecasting.

The IMO Prize, widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize of Meteorology,” is awarded annually to one recipient for outstanding contributions to meteorology, hydrology, and geophysical sciences. Xu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a founding architect of China’s Fengyun (FY) meteorological satellite program, is the fourth Chinese scientist to receive the honor, following Ye Duzheng, Qin Dahe, and Zeng Qingcun.

A Lifetime Building China’s Eye in the Sky

Born in August 1944, Xu Jianmin graduated from Nanjing Meteorological College in 1965 and began his career at the Meteorological Research Institute of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA). His trajectory changed dramatically after a devastating freezing rain and snow disaster in 1969 exposed China’s reliance on foreign satellite data — a gap that Premier Zhou Enlai called on the nation to fill by developing its own meteorological satellites.

Xu became Deputy Director of the National Meteorological Center in 1983 and Director-General of the National Satellite Meteorological Center (NSMC) in 1986. In these roles, he designed the basic structure of the Fengyun satellite ground system and led the development of core technologies that enabled the successful launch and operation of China’s first polar-orbiting (FY-1) and first geostationary (FY-2) meteorological satellites.

According to Xinhua News, Xu is recognized as one of the principal founders of China’s Fengyun program, having played a key role in formulating the development strategy for the entire satellite series.

From First Image to Global Service

China launched Fengyun-1A, its first domestically developed polar-orbiting meteorological satellite, in September 1988 — making it only the third country after the United States and the Soviet Union to independently develop such satellites. Less than two hours after launch, it transmitted its first visible-light cloud image.

Since then, China has launched 23 Fengyun satellites across two generations. Ten are currently operational, providing polar-orbiting and geostationary observations for forecasting, climate services, and environmental monitoring. The WMO reported that Fengyun data are now assimilated into China’s numerical weather prediction systems and used by international forecasting centers, shared in real time through the WMO Integrated Global Observing System.

Under Xu’s leadership, the Fengyun-2H geostationary satellite was repositioned to 79° east longitude, filling a critical gap in operational coverage over the Indian Ocean. He also championed the development of Fengyun-3E, the world’s first civilian operational early-morning orbit weather satellite, launched in 2021, which helps address observational gaps in global numerical weather prediction.

‘A Builder of Systems and a Builder of People’

At the award ceremony, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo praised Xu for his lifelong commitment to advancing satellite meteorology. “Today, we honour a scientist whose work has helped transform the way we observe our planet from space,” Saulo said, according to the WMO. She added that Xu’s most durable legacy is not a satellite, but “a student who knows how to see.”

WMO President Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous noted that Xu’s forward-looking designs had revolutionized global weather forecasting, providing “critical, irreplaceable observations that bridge vital gaps in global climate and disaster monitoring networks.”

In his acceptance speech, Xu deflected the personal praise. “This honour does not belong to me alone,” he said. “It belongs to all the contributors who have devoted themselves to China’s meteorological satellite cause over the previous half-century.”

A Prize That Gives Back

In a gesture underscoring his commitment to international cooperation, Xu announced that he would donate his entire prize money — a monetary grant of 10,000 Swiss Francs — to establish the CMA Multi-hazard Alert, Zero-gap and Universal (MAZU) Prize. The new award will recognize meteorological scholars and professionals whose work advances international cooperation and strengthens early warning capacity.

“It is my sincere wish to donate the full amount of the IMO Prize to the MAZU Prize,” Xu said. “This commitment follows the example of how individual action fuels our common global endeavour.”

The MAZU initiative is China’s early warning system, already implemented in seven countries and available in more than 40 nations via a cloud platform.

A Milestone for Chinese Science

Xu’s award marks the fourth time a Chinese scientist has won the IMO Prize, reflecting China’s growing influence in atmospheric sciences and its transition from a technology importer to a global leader in satellite meteorology. Fengyun satellites now provide around 90 products covering the atmosphere, oceans, land, snow and ice, clouds, radiation, ecosystems, and space weather, serving more than 130 countries and territories.

Looking ahead, Xu said the Fengyun program will continue to improve the accuracy and application of satellite data, strengthen its contribution to climate action and early warning systems, and explore new technologies including artificial intelligence.

As CGTN noted, Xu helped chart the program’s development roadmap and drove the launch of Fengyun-1 and Fengyun-2 satellites, marking a historic leap in China’s space-based weather capability. The IMO Prize — a gold medal, parchment scroll, and 10,000 Swiss Franc grant — now stands as the capstone of a career that transformed how the world observes its weather from space.