Learn about our research into radars to better predict storms and other severe weather
Limitations in forecasting storm convection
Atmospheric convection is when there is instability in the atmosphere. It's caused by strong vertical air movements or warm and moist air masses. Convection is the building block of severe weather, including thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Current forecast models struggle to predict the timing, intensity and duration of big storms. This is due to the range of measurements required:
- millimetres – to measure droplets and ice crystals
- kilometres – to measure convective vertical motion towers
- hundreds of kilometres – to measure large-scale circulation of air masses.
Improving convection forecasting
We're working to develop:
- an operational radar calibration and antenna pointing monitoring technique to ensure radar data can be used quantitatively
- innovative radar techniques to improve quality control
- a new radar target classification using our new dual-polarisation capability to detect and track hailstones, heavy rain and big drops
- a new wind and hail nowcasting tool for short-term (up to 1 hour ahead) forecasting to alert the general public in real-time about upcoming hazards associated with severe weather.
We're analysing:
- shipborne precipitation observations collected over the Southern Ocean and Antarctica – this information can be used to improve rainfall retrievals from the NASA Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) spaceborne dual-frequency radar
- measurements of the size distributions of drops with an optical disdrometer. This device is used at ground stations across Australia to measure the properties of different precipitation, such as raindrops, snowflakes and hail. We use the data to better understand the relationship between convection properties and radar measurements.