BEIJING, May 5 -- China's third Fengyun-III satellite, a polar orbiting meteorological satellite, was put into operation on Monday, according to a news release posted on the website of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

The satellite was handed over by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation to the CMA.

The third Fengyun-III satellite, together with the second Fengyun-III satellite, will form a monitoring network capable of constant three-dimensional, multiple-spectrum and remote-sensing observation of the earth.

The network of satellites will provide more and better monitoring data for global environmental surveillance, disaster reduction and the fight against climate change.

The third Fengyun-III satellite was tested and shown to function well after being launched on Sept. 23 last year. It is expected to raise China's precision in weather forecasting by around 3.0 percent.

Its launch and start of operations signaled the transition of China's second generation of polar orbiting meteorological satellites from the laboratory to application stages.

The first and second Fengyun-III were launched in May 2008 and November 2010, respectively.

The network of Fengyun-III satellites now boasts over 20,000 subscribers at home and abroad.