Melbourne Weather Radar | Rain Radar for Melbourne VIC 128km (2024)

FAQs

Where is the Melbourne radar? ›

Melbourne Radar Notes

Geographical Situation; The radar is situated on the western plains of the Melbourne basin some 19km west-south-west of the Central Business District, about six kilometres from the western shores of Port Phillip bay and on a low rise about 20m above mean sea level.

Cairns radar is situated approximately 9km NNW of Cairns airport at Saddle Mountain on the Kuranda range at a height of 652m above MSL.

Warm colors (red) / positive values indicate wind moving away from the radar (along a radial). Cool colors (green) / negative values indicate wind moving toward the radar. Purple indicates “range folding”— where the radar cannot determine the radial velocity. Velocity image of a large-scale weather system.

You may notice on hot, summer days, strange looking lines on the radar, even though there isn't any rain. These are called convective rolls, and they happen when hot air tries to rise, but something is preventing that air from continuing to rise and it sinks back down to the surface.

Melbourne's top temperatures are usually in January and February. Those months are often dry, with hot spells and cooling afternoon breezes off Port Phillip Bay. June and July are the coldest months and October is the wettest. Annual average rainfall for Melbourne is around 649 mm.

The word radar comes from the acronym radio detection and ranging. As the name implies, radars use radio waves to determine the distance and velocity of the targets they hit. A radar system usually consists of a transmitter to send out radio signals and a receiver to catch any reflected energy from targets.

The United States Navy created their own system, the AN/TPS-71 ROTHR (Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar), which covers a 64-degree wedge-shaped area at ranges from 500 to 1,600 nautical miles (925 to 3,000 km).

NEXRAD or Nexrad (Next-Generation Radar) is a network of 159 high-resolution S-band Doppler weather radars operated by the National Weather Service (NWS), an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the United States Department of Commerce, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ...

It is historically correct that, on June 17, 1935, radio-based detection and ranging was first demonstrated in Britain. Watson Watt, Wilkins, and Bowen are generally credited with initiating what would later be called radar in this nation.

The WSR-88D is one of the most powerful and advanced Weather Surveillance Doppler Radar in the world. Since first being built and tested in 1988, it has been installed and used operationally at over 160 locations across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

What does a black dot mean on a weather radar? ›

Black dots represent divergence centers. Arrow length is proportional to wind speed. Negative (positive) Doppler velocities represent flow toward (away from) the radar. (

It has to do with the type and intensity of the precipitation. The colors are typically a spectrum. The greens indicate light or moderate rainfall. Yellow, orange, and red indicate moderate to heavy rainfall and can also indicate hail.

On a weather radar map, a tornado is usually indicated by a smaller area of red surrounded by a larger area of green. However, modern radar systems can also indicate debris balls, a sign of a tornado on the ground.

Police radar devices must be regularly recalibrated to ensure their accuracy. Regular maintenance and calibration are essential for precise measurements. Without routine checks, radars can display incorrect speeds because of wear and tear, environmental influences, and technological errors.

If a radar gun hasn't been properly (or recently) calibrated, it can yield a bad reading—just like a scale that isn't calibrated to “zero” will tell you the wrong weight. Weather conditions. Inclement weather, especially high winds, can affect the radar gun's returns.

Skyline Melbourne invites you to discover a hub of excitement and relaxation that's sure to captivate and offer fun for all ages. It's positioned in Polly Woodside Park, on the lawn area of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre by the Yarra River.

The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, referred to as AAMI Park due to a sponsorship arrangement, is an outdoor sports stadium situated on the grounds of Edwin Flack Field within the Sports and Entertainment Precinct in the heart of the Melbourne central business district.

The Australian International Airshow, also called the Avalon Airshow, is a large air show held biennially at Avalon Airport, between Melbourne and Geelong in Victoria.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Energy is emitted in various frequencies and wavelengths from large wavelength radio waves to shorter wavelength gamma rays. Radars emit microwave energy, a longer wavelength, highlighted in yellow.