The new online lesson provides a brief overview of the satellite-based climate data records (CDRs) generated by EUMETSAT‘s Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) used to support climate observation and modelling. Learners will understand how to obtain a CDR from the CM SAF, and the software packages needed to visualise the CDR data in the CM SAF R Toolbox. An exercise of a hypothetical astronomical observatory installation is used to showcase the Toolbox’s application in performing statistical analyses and generating areal and location-specific data maps. Finally, a case study of the 2003 European heatwave tests the learner’s understanding of how to use the Toolbox for data analysis.