Meteomatics unveiled Strato, a next-generation Meteodrone, at Meteorological Technology World Expo 2026 in Amsterdam on Monday, introducing a multicopter designed for atmospheric sounding into the troposphere at altitudes of up to 10,438 metres. The Swiss weather intelligence firm positions the aircraft as a reusable alternative to radiosondes and says it is intended to provide vertical profiles from precise locations on demand.
Strato extends Meteomatics’ drone-based weather-observation programme beyond earlier Meteodrone models that reached about 6 km. The new platform is built for high-altitude operation with sustained wind resistance up to 130 km/h, waterproof construction, active wind-mode control and an integrated de-icing system for the rotors.
During flight, the drone transmits real-time telemetry including altitude, wind, temperature and icing alerts to operators. Meteomatics plans to use the data to refine its high-resolution weather models, including US1k and Euro1k, and to support customers in aviation, energy, government, defence, insurance and agriculture.
The company described Strato as part of a decade-long Meteodrone development programme and said it complements a broader weather-intelligence business serving more than 700 customers.