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Alice Springs Radar

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Alice Springs Radar Notes

Alice Springs Windfinding and Weather Watch RadarNorthern Territory NT23.8170°S 133.9000°E 545m AMSL
LocationAlice Springs Airport
Radar TypeWF 100 C Band
Typical Availability2145-0215; 0345-0815; 0945-1415; 1545-2015

The Alice Springs radar has a very good view to the south of the airport. The coverage is from 260 degrees (True) through the south to 075 degrees (True) - this area includes: Tempe Downs, Angus Downs, Kulgera, Finke and the western edge of the Simpson Desert. The effectiveness of the radar is reduced markedly to the north by the MacDonnell Ranges which lie between the Airport and Alice Springs Central Business District. In the north, the area of good coverage lies from Mt. Hay in the west to Mt. Yambah in the north to Harts Range in the northeast. Due to the relative high cloud base normally associated with shower, storm and rain events, intensities in the low ranges must be considered suspect. In normal circumstances, there is a large amount of dry air beneath the clouds and this causes a certain amount of evaporation of the precipitation. In the 0.0 to 0.2 mm range, most of the precipitation does not reach the ground (virga); in the 0.2 to 2.0 mm range the actual rainfall is generally closer to 1.0 mm mark, however, in the higher ranges, rainfall rates are usually fairly accurate. Being a C Band radar, if there are large thunderstorms around, the radar may not be able to detect accurately the strength of other storms located behind the closest storms. This may also lead to the underestimation of the strength, at times, of very intense isolated storms. Heavy rain over the radar itself will reduce the reliability of the radar in all directions.

About Future Radar

Future radar is a new drop-down option available on the Weatherzone radar, allowing you to see where precipitation may fall in the next 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hour timeframe. It is a prediction that uses past radar and satellite data to infer the movement and intensity of precipitation. This differs from observed radar which uses physical instrumentation to measure and render precipitation as it happens.

Future radar performs best with broad scale weather systems. However there are limitations in its performance when volatile convective systems develop and change within a short timeframe, as these scenarios provide local impacts that are difficult to predict in terms of speed, direction, intensity and shape.

To help visually distinguish between past timeframes and future timeframes, the radar animation will show predicted radar imagery at reduced opacity. You have the option to turn future radar on or off as it suits your needs.

Latest News

Map Legend

Lightning Heatmap

  • 0.1
  • 15
  • 60
Lightning Pulses / Square kilometre per minute

Lightning Strikes

  • Latest
  • 15 MINS AGO
  • 30 MINS AGO
  • 45 MINS AGO
  • 60 MINS AGO

PlusGround Strike

SquareCloud to Cloud Strike

Obs Field (Rainfall - 10 mins)

  • < 0.2
  • < 0.6
  • < 1.2
  • < 2.4
  • < 5
  • < 10
  • 10+

Obs Field (Rainfall - Since 9AM)

  • < 0.2
  • < 5
  • < 10
  • < 25
  • < 50
  • < 100
  • 100+

Obs Field (Temperature)

0° C15° C40° C

Obs Field (Dew Point)

0° C10° C30° C

Obs Field (Wind km/h)

  • 0 - 19
  • 20 - 30
  • 31 - 39
  • 40 - 61
  • 62 - 87
  • 88+

Rain radar

Legend Rainfall Intensity

Light

Heavy

Thunderstorm Risk

  • Thunderstorms possible
  • Thunderstorms likely
  • Thunderstorms severe

Temperature Gradient Map

  • -8 °C
  • -4 °C
  • 0 °C
  • 4 °C
  • 8 °C
  • 12 °C
  • 16 °C
  • 24 °C
  • 28 °C
  • 32 °C
  • 36 °C
  • 40 °C
  • 44 °C
  • 48 °C

Warning Areas (BOM)

  • SEVERE WEATHER
  • FIRE
  • FLOOD
  • COASTAL WIND
  • MISC.

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