The majority of Australia's weather radars are operated by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), an executive agency of the Australian Government. The radar network is continually being upgraded with new technology such as doppler and dual polarisation to provide better now-casting. Doppler weather radars are able to detect the movement of precipitation, making it very useful in detecting damaging winds associated with precipitation, and determining if a thunderstorm has a rotating updraft, a key indicator of the presence of the most dangerous type of thunderstorm, a supercell.
The new dual polarisation radars give forecasters the ability to: detect debris in the atmosphere, leading to more accurate tornado warnings; distinguish between different precipitation types, leading to better estimations of hail size and severity; better identify areas of heavy rainfall, leading to more accurate flood warnings; and discern between precipitation and non-meteorological echoes such as chaff, birds, and insects.
The dual polarisation transition The transition to polarimetric (dual-polarised) radars began in 2017 with the upgrade of 4 Meteor 1500 radars located in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Sydney. The network has further been enhanced through the installation of 8 new polarimetric Meteor 735 radars across WA, NSW & Victoria, and two polarimetric WRM200 radars manufactured by Vaisala, one to replace the radar in Dampier, WA which had been destroyed by severe tropical cyclone Damien in 2020, and one to replace an ageing radar near Gove in the Northern Territory. Nine new Meteor 1700s were also installed between 2021 and 2024, 7 located in Qld, and 2 in WA, all equipped with dual polarisation technology. All the radars with the model name 'Meteor' were manufactured by Selex ES, now Leonardo.
Specifications are available for the Meteor 735, Meteor 1700, and the Vaisala WRM200.
Future radar network upgrades The BoM has plans to: build a new radar in Tennant Creek build a new radar in SW Western Australia in the Manjimup-Pemberton region build a new radar in SW Queensland in the Quilpie region upgrade the Grafton Radar in the next 5-10 years to a dual-polarising doppler radar
Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory is served by the Captains Flat radar, located in New South Wales.
New South Wales + Weather radars in New South WalesNameLocationElevation (metres)Model NameBeamwidth (degrees)Range Resolution (metres)IEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolRainfall AccumulationsNotesBrewarrina149 Meteor 7351250CInstalled 2020Canberra (Captains Flat)1383DWSR74S14-132250 SUpgraded 2013Grafton40WSR74S-142500STo Be Upgraded to a Dual-Polarising Radar within 5-10 yearsHillston144Meteor 7351250CInstalled Aug 2021Moree220WF100C-8 1.6500CNamoi (Blackjack Mountain)699DWSR8502S-14 2250SNewcastle84DWSR74S14-132250SUpgraded Jun 2013Norfolk Island~120WF100C-81.6CThe data from this radar is not in the national radar archive and therefore its metadata is inaccessible.Sydney (Terrey Hills)195Meteor 15001250SUpgraded 2017Wagga Wagga221WF100C-81.6500CWollongong (Appin)449DWSR8502S-142250SUpgraded 2013Yeoval487Meteor 7351250CInstalled May 2022 The radar suffers moderate beam obstruction between approximately 70° and 130° due to an area of elevated terrain, meaning there is an underestimation of rain intensity in the lowest radar tilt between the same bearings.Kurnell64WSR81C-121250CDecommissioned Archived radar data is uploaded here
Northern Territory +Weather radars in Northern TerritoryNameLocationElevation (metres)Model NameBeamwidth (degrees)Range Resolution (metres)IEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolRainfall AccumulationsNotesAlice Springs545WF100C-81.6500CDarwin (Berrimah)51Wurrung 2502C1250CUpgraded Sep 2022Darwin Airport38Wurrung 2502C1.6250CUpgraded 2022Gove61WRM 2001250CUpgraded 2023Katherine (Tindal)131WSR81C-81.6500CWarruwi43Wurrung 2502C1250CInstalled Dec 2012
Queensland +Weather radars in QueenslandNameLocationElevation (metres)Model NameBeamwidth (degrees)Range Resolution (metres)IEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolRainfall AccumulationsNotesBowenWF100C-81.6500CBrisbane AirportMeteoPress C1.7250CDecommissionedBrisbane (Mt Stapylton)150Meteor 15001250S Upgraded Sep 2017Cairns652Wurrung 2502C1250CUpgraded Aug 2023. EmeraldDWSR 85022SGladstoneWSR-742SGreenvaleMeteor 17001250SInstalled Dec 2021Gympie (Mt Kanigan)DWSR 85022SLongreachWF 100C-81.6CMackay42Meteor 17001250SUpgraded Dec 2023.Marburg370Meteor 17001250SIn November 2023, a new radar replaced an ageing WSR-74. The radar suffers beam blockage on the tilts 0.6° and 0.83° to the W and SW of the radar, leading to an under-representation of reflectivity values between those bearings.Mornington IslandWF 100C-81.6CMount Isa523DWSR 85022SInstalled Nov 2012RichmondMeteor 17001250SInstalled Sep 2022TaroomMeteor 17001250SInstalled Apr 2022ToowoombaMeteor 17001250SInstalled Apr 2024Townsville (Hervey Range)Meteor 17001250SUpgraded Nov 2024WarregoTVDR 25001.6CWeipa44Wurrung 2502C1CUpgraded Aug 2015Willis IslandWurrung 2502C1.6CUpgraded Nov 2022
South Australia +Weather radars in South AustraliaNameLocationElevation (metres)Model NameBeamwidth (degrees)Range Resolution (metres)IEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolRainfall AccumulationsNotesAdelaide (Buckland Park)Meteor 15001250SUpgraded 2017Adelaide (Sellicks Hill)WF 100C-81.6CCedunaWurrung 2502C1.6CUpgraded May 2021Mt GambierWF 100C-81.6CWoomeraWF 100C-81.6C
Tasmania +Weather radars in TasmaniaNameLocationElevation (metres)Model NameBeamwidth (degrees)Range Resolution (metres)IEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolRainfall AccumulationsNotesHobart (Mt Koonya)Wurrung 2502C1CUpgraded Nov 2022Hobart AirportWF 100C-62CN.W. Tasmania (West Takone)Wurrung 2502C1CUpgraded Apr 2016
Victoria +Weather radar in VictoriaNameLocationElevation (metres)Model NameBeamwidth (degrees)Range Resolution (metres)IEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolRainfall AccumulationsNotesBairnsdaleWurrung 2502C1.6CMelbourneMeteor 15001SUpgraded 2017Melbourne (Broadmeadows)Wurrung 2502C1.6CMilduraMeteor 7351CInstalled near Cullulleraine 2020RainbowMeteor 7351CInstalled Mar 2020YarrawongaWSR 81C1C
Western Australia +Weather radars in Western AustraliaNameLocationElevation (metres)Model NameBeamwidth (degrees)Range Resolution (metres)IEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolRainfall AccumulationsNotesAlbanyMeteor 735CUpgraded 2019BroomeWurrung 2502CCCarnarvonWurrung 25021.6CUpgraded 2024DampierWRM 2001250CEsperanceMeteor 7351250CUpgraded Feb 2020GeraldtonMeteor 7351250CUpgraded 2019GilesWF 100C-6CHalls CreekWurrung 2502CCUpgraded 2022KalgoorlieWurrung 2502CCUpgraded 2021KarrathaMeteor 17001250SInstalled Oct 2024LearmonthTVDR 2500CNewdegateWurrung 2500CCInstalled Oct 2016Perth (Serpentine)Meteor 17001250SUpgraded Nov 2022Perth AirportWurrung 2502CCPort HedlandTVDR 2500CSouth DoodlakineWurrung 2502CCInstalled Feb 2017WatherooWurrung 2502CCInstalled Jun 2017WyndhamWF 100C-8C
Research Radars Note: Whilst the BoM may/may not own these radars, they are often involved with the radars for research applications. +Research radarsNameLocationElevationOperational statusRadar modelIEEE Frequency BandDopplerDual PolNotesCPOL 50mInactive (6/12/1998 - 2/5/2017)N/ACThe data which CPOL has collected is used to study the microphysical and dynamic properties of thunderstorm convection in Darwin, Australia, enabling the improvement of atmospheric models' representations of the convection formed during the pre-monsoon buildup and active monsoon.CP2185.5mInactive (1/11/2007 - 1/6/2015)N/AS & XThe CP2 Research radar was a 1970's era radar, which the BoM received as a gift from the NCAR in the United States. The BoM retrofitted it with modern parts which gave it the unique ability to collect data at two frequencies, S and X band. The upgrades also provided state of the art dual polarisation and doppler technologies. The CP in its title stands for cloud physics, and the radar has been used to research thunderstorms, drive improvements in rainfall measurements and hail detection and explore the potential for cloud seeding.Ocean PolN/A (Mobile radar)22m Active (22/3/2015-)N/ACThis research radar is installed on the RV Investigator, an ocean research vessel. The radar collects data on research voyages, including trips to Antarctic waters, Heard Island and circumnavigations of Australia.UQXPOLN/A (Mobile radar)N/AActive (14/10/2014-)Furuno WR-2100XThis research radar is operated by the University of Queensland and has been involved with research to improve hail detection and hail size prediction algorithms, and also with research into bushfires and pyroconvection as part of a $1 million google.org philanthropic venture. Monash University x-bandN/A (Mobile radar)N/AActive Meteor 60DXX
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See also
Related articles NEXRAD Canadian weather radar network
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