![]() ![]() ![]() Increased data resolution provided by the NEXRAD gave forecasters the ability to see storms in greater detail, while Doppler velocities allowed forecasters to see wind fields and possible rotation within thunderstorms. This new capability would allow forecasters to not only see the location and intensity of precipitation or storm movement, but the movement of the precipitation and winds within the storm itself.Īfter a long decade of testing that spanned the entire 1980s, the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory and their partners deployed the latest-and-greatest radar technology in 1992: Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD), a system that offered several improvements for the NWS. By the 1970s, researchers began developing a new generation of radar, one that would incorporate revolutionary Doppler techniques. After some refining, the Weather Bureau rolled out its first network of radars in 1959.Īs technology continued to improve, radar did the same: newer, more reliable computers quickly became available for the most accurate data possible. Weather Bureau scientists and technicians recognized the strengths and limitations of these older systems and began to modify and update the technology to better suit the needs of short-term forecasting. However, much of the donated equipment was specifically designed for military use. Upon further investigation, it was determined these “echoes” were caused by precipitation thus, the idea to use radar technology for meteorological purposes was born.Īt the end of the war, the military donated at least 25 radar systems to the Weather Bureau, marking the beginnings of the US weather radar system. Using this groundbreaking technology to scan the skies for incoming airplanes, radar analysts noted that, during periods of heavy or intense weather, the radar would return strange signals and patterns. However, the use of radar for weather observations was discovered unintentionally. In order to gain an advantage in the war, the US and Great Britain decided to pool all of their radar information, resulting in the development of the earliest modern radar. With the United States’ entry into World War II, the need for accelerated radar development was fully realized, primarily by Allied powers. From this baseline discovery, radar technology, knowledge, and experimentation began enthusiastically. He discovered that electromagnetic waves could reflect off of various objects, and even be focused into beams by reflectors. In fact, the fundamental principles of radar were first observed in late-19th century Europe by Henreich Hertz, a physicist. It is true in a way, but only to the extent that technicians and aviators in the war streamlined the technology and produced systems in great quantities. While it is commonly assumed that radar was a byproduct of military necessity in World War II, that isn’t the whole story. Though today’s radar has been adapted for meteorological application, the science behind this revolutionary technology came into being more than a century ago. (El Niño has the opposite effect in the Pacific, reducing the amount of wind shear.)Īt the same time, this year’s heightened sea surface temperatures pose a number of threats, including the ability to supercharge storms.A crucial element of modern meteorology, Radio Detection and Ranging, commonly known as radar, is used today in forecasting weather events like rain, sleet, snow and tornadoes. Hurricanes need a calm environment to form, and the instability caused by increased wind shear makes those conditions less likely. In the Atlantic, El Niño increases the amount of wind shear, or the change in wind speed and direction from the ocean or land surface into the atmosphere. The intermittent climate phenomenon can have wide-ranging effects on weather around the world, and it typically impedes the formation of Atlantic hurricanes. This year features an El Niño pattern, which arrived in June. ( A record 30 named storms formed in 2020.) There were 14 named storms last year, after two extremely busy Atlantic hurricane seasons in which forecasters ran out of names and had to resort to backup lists. 10, NOAA officials revised their estimate upward, to 14 to 21 storms. In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there would be 12 to 17 named storms this year, a “near-normal” amount. Lee is the 12th named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2023. Lee was a post-tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with sustained wind speeds of 45 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory.
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