RADARS AND WARNING SYSTEMS
What Radar Is
The encyclopedia definition of radar is an electronic system used
to locate object beyond the range of vision. It is similar in weather
terms, only in the encyclopedia they were talking about detecting enemy
warcrafts and missiles, not detecting thunderstorms and hurricanes.
A radar
is a weather instrument that helps meteorologists detect and figure out the
path of severe storms. The purpose of this page will be to teach you more
about a radar and its history.
What Radar Systems Help
Meteorologists Do
Now, let's say that you were outside playing a game of
basketball. You are going to have five friends come over to play, but it is
beginning to look cloudy. So what do you do? You go inside and turn on the
Weather Channel to see what the forecaster says about the weather. The
forecaster tells you that the rain will probably pass by and that your area
won't receive any precipitation and as simply as that, you are back outside
ready to play basketball. But did you ever wonder how the forecaster or
meteorologist obtains the information to tell you about the forecast? Well
here's how it goes:
Everyday, there is a meteorologist at your local television or
radio station. He is checking the radar to see if there is any cloud
movement or precipitation in the area. 
A radar can detect anything from a
bird flying in the sky ( that has to be a real sensitive radar) to a huge
hurricane moving through coastal lands. Radar devices can provide
information on the precipitation rate, the amount of cloud and fog cover,
and cold fronts or warm fronts. Doppler radar can also interpret the winds
within a system and shows which way the raindrops are moving and how fast
they are moving. We will get to the differences of different kinds of
radars later. The meteorologist takes that information from that radar
screen and decides how fast the storm is moving and what areas are going to
be hit by the storm cell. Then, if needed, the meteorologist will issue
warnings and watches which will also be talked about briefly at the end of
this page.
The History of Radar
The first practical radar was invented in 1935 by
Sir Robert Watson-Watt was used for enemy planes and ships that the Germans might encounter during World War II. After World War II, the radar was used in many other
different wars until the 1960's, when the National Weather Service began
experimenting with Doppler radar for weather detection. In the late 70's
and early 80's, Doppler radar was beginning to be used at television stations. In
1982, a
similar version of the Doppler radar was added on to the Weather Service
weather radar in Montgomery, Alabama. This radar was improved in 1985 and
started appearing in other Weather Service areas across the nation. Today,
the newest version of the Doppler radar is the NEXRAD. These radars are
more powerful and have more features than any radar in history!
Differences Between Radars
Old Radar and Doppler Radar- Weather Radar has improved vastly since
the first one was made in 1935. The new Doppler radar makes it possible to
give the public more timely warnings by detecting tornadoes before they
touch down. It is also helpful by detecting air motion within a
thunderstorm. The old radar did not have this information available.
What Severe Storm Warnings and
Watches Are
A Watch means that a storm or tornado is
likely. (It depends what type of storm they are predicting. It could be a
tornado, a thunderstorm, or a flash flood watch.) You should be ready to
take shelter. You should stay tuned to a local radio station or a
television station and be aware of the conditions outdoors.
Any kind of watch issued in the U.S. is issued
by the Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Forecasters
there watch the entire U.S. daily searching for the potential of severe
weather areas
A Warning is issued if severe weather has been
reported or if radar shows a possible severe thunderstorm or tornado.
During this time, you must take shelter immediately because you could be in
the cell's path!
How do you know when a warning has been issued
and you aren't near a T.V. or a radio to hear it? Usually, in the area that
the warning has been issued, sirens will go off for about three minutes to
warn the area in the warning that a severe storm cell has been spotted and
to take shelter.
Any kind of warning will be issued by the local
office of the National Weather Service.
