Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail, etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the intensity of the precipitation. Both types of data can be analyzed to determine the structure of storms and their potential to cause severe weather.
During World War II, radar operators discovered that weather was causing echoes on their screen, masking potential enemy targets. Techniques were developed to filter them, but scientists began to study the phenomenon. Soon after the war, surplus radar were used to detect precipitations. Since then, weather radar has evolved on its own and is now used by national weather services, research departments in universities as well as in television broadcasts. Raw images are routinely used and specialized software can take radar data to make short term forecast of future positions and intensities of rain, snow, hail, and other weather phenomena. Their output is even incorporated into numerical weather prediction models to improve analyses and forecasts.
Read more about Weather Radar: History, Main Types of Radar Outputs, Limitations and Artifacts
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