Radar supporting flood forecasting in Scotland

Probability of detection of rainfall by radar compared to rainguage
Probability of detection of rainfall by radar compared to rainguage

There are some unique challenges with the operational use of radar in Scotland:

  • The radar coverage is inconsistent across the country, particularly in Dumfries and Galloway and the Highlands, including Inverness
  • The mountainous nature of the landscape means that the radar might not be able to “see” in all directions as the beam is blocked by hills
  • The post processing algorithms do not fully account for orographic enhancement of rainfall over high ground
  • Radar doesn’t perform very well when it is snowing due to the different reflective properties of snow compared to rain

However, radar remains a vital tool in flood forecasting as Linda Speight reports on floodforecastingservice.net

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