China launched a second weather satellite on Tuesday to help improve forecasts for the Beijing Olympics this August.

The 2,300 kilogram satellite, Fengyun-3 will provide mid-range forecasts over 10 to 15 days.

Experts said the data collected by the satellite will not only facilitate weather forecast in China but also in other countries. It will also contribute key geographical data for research on aviation, navigation, agriculture, forestry and oceanography.

Director of National Satellite Meteorological Center Yangjun stressed the significance of the successful launch.

"It is very important for us to prevent disasters and deal with climate change. Under the circumstance of global warming, occurrences of severe weather conditions such as typhoon, rainstorm and sandstorm are on the rise. The satellite can forecast large-scale natural disasters. Meanwhile it can increase the accuracy of our weather forecast."

Fengyun-3 is a second generation polar-orbiting meteorological satellites made by China.

China has launched eight meteorological satellites since research started in the 1970s. Its first Olympic weather forecasting satellite, the Fengyun-2D, was launched nearly two years ago.