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CRC PUBLICATIONS |
On the Calibration of Australian Weather Radars
Alan Seed,
Lionel Siriwardena,
Xudong Sun,
Phillip Jordan,
Jim Elliott
Publication Type:
Technical Report
This is a publication of the current CRC for Catchment Hydrology
CRC Program:
Climate Variability
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Publication Keywords:
Precipitation (Atmospheric)
Rain
Calibration
Weather Forecasting
Radar
Reflectivity
Spatial
gauging
Storms
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Abstract / Summary:
Weather radar offers an enormous potential to improve the quality of rainfall measurement. This potential can translate into benefits in many sectors of the water industry ranging from improved design information, decisions on water allocation and management, through to improved weather and flood forecasts for greater public safety. A key step in transforming weather radar observations into accurate rainfall estimates however is the calibration of the weather radar data. This involves converting the quantity actually observed by the radar (known as reflectivity) into an estimate of rainfall intensity. The current approach used widely with Australian weather radars is to rely on a set of calibration factors that represent average, or climatological, conditions. This can lead to quite large errors in rainfall estimates.
This report describes investigations to improve the calibration process for weather radars in Melbourne, Sydney and Darwin. Raingauge data has been used to analyse the likely errors in rainfall estimates from radar and calibration strategies to improve the quality of the radar rainfall estimates are proposed.
Francis Chiew
Program Leader
Climate Variability Program
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Centre Office:
CRC for Catchment Hydrology
Dept of Civil Engineering
Building 60
Monash University Vic 3800
Tel: +61 3 9905 2704
Fax: +61 3 9905 5033
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