Since late 2024, the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite era has marked a significant leap forward in Earth observation capabilities from geostationary orbit over Europe and Africa. This special issue collects publications demonstrating the capabilities of the flexible combined imager (FCI) and the first European lightning imager (LI) on board the MTG imager satellites. The articles featured in this collection document the technical transition from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) to MTG, showcasing improvements across a broad spectrum of meteorological applications. By providing in-depth analysis of instrument performance, data quality, and scientific impact, this collection serves as a comprehensive reference for the MTG imager mission.

Review process: all papers of this special issue underwent the regular interactive peer-review process of Atmospheric Measurement Techniques handled by members of the editorial board as well as guest editors designated by the AMT executive editors.