In summer, Perth people only need a 24 hour radar loop to assure them that there will be no rain. But we're sure it will be handy in winter – here's the BOM media release:
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Perth (Serpentine) weather watch radar has today (2 December) been upgraded to provide more frequent images for the public.
Radar images are now scanned and available to the public every 6 minutes instead of every 10.
The upgrade also includes a new improved rainfall service, which will provide a more comprehensive estimation of rainfall amounts in the Perth area.
The new radar-based rainfall information is accessible via the Bureau’s radar viewer and provides the best possible mix of radar and rain gauge data. This service provides more information than is currently available from the rain gauge network alone. The community will now get a much better snapshot of where the heaviest rain has fallen.
The increased data frequency will help forecasters to more accurately detect and monitor severe weather events. Meteorologists and hydrologists combine radar information with satellite and surface observations, as well as numerical models, as a basis for developing weather forecasts and warnings.
The Serpentine weather watch radar was installed in June 2010, replacing Perth's previous ageing radar with a modern Doppler radar. It is strategically located in the national radar network to cover the Perth metropolitan and surrounding rural areas.
