C- Band Polarimetric Doppler Radar system

In January 2012, a modern gadget was installed in New Delhi to provide accurate weather information to the people within a very short span of time. The gadget is called C- Band Polarimetric Doppler Radar system. It has been inaugurated in the Indian Metrological Department at Mausam Bhawan on its 137 foundation day.

What a Polarimetric Radar can do?

Polarimetric radar can significantly improve the accuracy of the estimates of amounts of precipitation.

Polarimetric radar can tell the difference between very heavy rain and hail, which will improve flash flood watches and warnings

Polarimetric radar can identify types of precipitation in winter weather forecasts, improving forecasts of liquid water equivalent or snow depth

Polarimetric radar data is more accurate than conventional radar, saving the forecasters the step of having to verify radar data

Increased confidence in polarimetric radar data can contribute to increased lead time in flash flood and winter weather hazard warnings.

This system uses advanced data to give information in severe weather condition like rain, hailstorms and dust storms. With the installation of this radar we will be able to cover the entire NCR more accurately to give to the residence of Delhi more accurate information about rainfall, about wind, about heat, about dust storms about hail storms.

This will of course impact the traffic movement in the city, it would avoid traffic jams, people will know exactly what is going to be happening into the course of between 15 minutes to 2 hrs, you could know what is going to be happening where.

Polarimetric Doppler Radar: How does it work?

The Polarimetric Doppler Radar system sends out the short bursts of radio waves called pulses. The pulses bounce off particles in the atmosphere and the energy is reflected back to the radar dish.

A computer processes the returned signals and, through algorithms, can make conclusions about what kinds of particles it "saw," including the directions they are moving, using the Doppler Effect, and the speed of their movement. C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long-distance radio telecommunications.