Update #2: This is the final reminder of the retirement of the aforementioned Metop-B HIRS L1b data and Metop-B/C AVHRR L1b granule data scheduled to occur on September 21, 2026 at 1500z.

Update #1: This serves as a two week reminder of the retirement of the aforementioned Metop-B HIRS L1b data and Metop-B/C AVHRR L1b granule data scheduled to occur on September 21, 2026 at 1500z.

Topic: Retirement of Metop-B HIRS L1b Data and Metop-B/C AVHRR L1b Granule Data

Date/Time Issued: September 18, 2026 1325Z

Product(s) or Data Impacted: 

ProdShortNameProduct Filename
METOP_HIRS-4_Level_1b_NSS.HIRHNSS\.HIRH\.M\d\.D\d{5}\.S\d{4}\.E\d{4}\.B\d{7}\.[A-Z]{2}$
METOP_HIRS-4_Level_1b_NSS.HIRXNSS\.HIRX\.M\d\.D\d{5}\.S\d{4}\.E\d{4}\.B\d{7}\.[A-Z]{2}$
METOP_Level_1_Granules_AVHRR_FRACG1B\.FRAC\.M\d\.D\d{5}\.S\d{4}\.E\d{4}\.B\d{7}\.[A-Z]{2}$

Date/Time of Initial Impact: September 21, 2026 1500Z

Date/Time of Expected End: NA (Termination of Product)

Length of Impact: NA

Details/Specifics:

Effective September 21, 2026, NESDIS will retire Metop-B HIRS L1b data and Metop-B/C AVHRR L1b granule data from its legacy systems.

  • HIRS Data: The HIRS instrument on Metop-B stopped operating on March 17, 2023. Legacy systems continue to produce and check this data, but this process will permanently end.
  • AVHRR Granule Data: Delivery of Metop-B/C AVHRR L1b granule data through legacy systems will terminate as those systems are decommissioned at the end of the fiscal year.
  • Unaffected Services: Metop-B/C AVHRR L1b data services, including both FRAC and GAC, will continue uninterrupted
Contact Information for Further Information: Please email User Services at spsd.userservices@noaa.gov for additional information or feedback.


This notification was sent to ESPC.Notification@noaa.gov mailing list. If you wish to unsubscribe or subscribe to this list, please contact ESPC Help-Desk at ESPCOperations@noaa.gov with your request. Please note: it may take up to two business days to process your request. For any additional information you can reach ESPC at 301-817-3880 (24x7)