I've just noticed that the Emerald QLD Doppler radar is online and has apparently been online Since the 31st of March... Haven't seen anyone make a post about it lol.
http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/garrett/2010/mr20100331.html

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR723.loop.shtml#skip


Surely Gunnedah Radar is nearing testing phase.. I think a Spring 2010 go live date is expected....

Haven't heard anything since the 2009/10 Budget re: 4 new doppler radars at Croker Island/Maningrida in the Northern Territory, Hobart, Mount Isa and Wollongong..

The Govt are SLOWLY building a better radar network (though far from great), now we just need a better web based product set!

I would also like to bring up this again.
http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/about/rndsup_index.shtml
Emerald isn't even on that 2003 list, but was an addition in the 2008 budget apparently, but what has happened with the final 3 on that list, assuming Bairnsdale, Broome and Darwin airport have been replaced as suggested..the govt works in mysterious ways...

Anyways, I wonder if we will see any more announcements for the BoM and radars in the next budget... Central W and NW NSW (oh and Western NSW) please Mr Garret...lol

Simon

Hobart Doppler radar?! Your kidding me. As if they need it. Hurry and get one up and running for Mt Isa though. Much needed there. Plenty of severe storm operate over that way and with 20-30,000 people there and massive mining contingent, needed badly.

i think every capital city around australia should have one of the new doppler radars, WA doesnt have any would be nice to see one in perth and another one in the pilbara/gasconye region

Ideally every radar should be doppler, but we know that's not going to happen any time soon....there was some discussion in the budget thread i started last year http://forum.weatherzone.com.au/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=57258&page=1

With most points being quite Valid... In an ideal world we'd have a doppler radar ever 300km across australia lol..

Not all doppler radars are for storm chasers , in Hobart the current one is more or less only for aviation anyway. So I leave it to the experts whether Hobart is prone to windsheer or not.

Was just flicking through the local Advertiser and have seen a classified for a registration of interest for qualified contractors in regards to the Wollongong Radar.... But it appears its an Upgrade of the Appin radar instead of a stand alone radar as suggested in the '09 budget...The classified states its "looking for suitable contractors for the building refurbishment including electrical services and mechanical services associated upgrade of the radar facility near Wollongong (appin) by Sept 2010"...

Not sure exactly what it means, if its just a building upgrade or full radar upgrade but the latter seems more likely when factoring the 09 budget announcement

As for Tamworth/Gunnedah... Surely not far off.. Storm season 2010 is fast approaching

I think the Gunnedah could possibly be getting a test today.
Looking at the 512km radar for Moree, Grafton, or Newy, you can see a large area of rain echoes out Coonabarabran and Baradine, and rain echoes around and south of Armidale and near Tamworth.
However, if you go to the 256km range on either three of them radars, there are not many echoes in those areas because those radars find it hard to pick up light precipitation in those areas.
It just seems a bit strange to see light rain being picked up in those areas, which is why I think BOM are giving it a test. If it really is Gunnedah doing its magic then finally there'll be a radar that actually picks up rain intensity properly for Armidale.

Here's some screen captures of the 512km image versus the 256km images for Moree, Grafton, & Newy, showing possible evidence of Gunnedah testing.
512km Grafton Radar:


256km Grafton Radar:


256km Moree Radar:


256km Newcastle Radar:

I think you might be onto something!

I imagine the opening of the radar will not be too far away

Gunnedah must not be far away... a dead link on the BoM NSW page under "Notices" leads me to suspect its looming... Interestingly, They've called it the Namoi Radar rather then Gunnedah or Tamworth (being the closest town, or most populous town in the radar's area)

http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/radar/about/namoi-radar.shtml

Also...BoM have been testing a new Perth radar, Built at Serpentine, South of perth... Earliest release date was March 2010, but it's yet to appear...(FYI, 2nd last on the RNDSUP list, after Carnarvon (replaced June 09 but is unavailable.. for some time it seems) but before Townsville)

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/show_prod.cgi?IDR701

Using the IDR number, using this url
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR703.loop.shtml#skip (703 is 128km)

It doesn't look like its a Doppler =[

Source: http://www.bom.gov.au/notification/weather_services.shtml

Simon

thanks for letting us know about the gunnedah radar freeze / simmah, i'd forgotten all about it!

should prove more than handy while storm chasing in the mudgee / dubbo / warren etc areas that aren't covered too well by the newcastle radar.

Certainly better then what we've got now, But that area will be on the outer reaches of the radar... Certainly outside the Doppler wind velocity reaches... better then nothing though

As u can see by this quick google earth overlay i made up a few months back, with approx a 200km radius (this it was nearer 220km)

(the green ones are fantasy radars ;))

It's officially online today, replacing the current Perth Radar on the national radar page.

lol @ Perth not getting a doppler, when Adelaide, Yarrawonga and Emerald have one!

Anyway, looks like they are following some of their recent patterns as the Warrego radar is in the Warrego river catchment, and the same for the Namoi! It will certainly cover the entire catchment very well, as well as the adjacent ones of course.

On a personal note its quite a nice name to use, as my mum and her family lived in Gunnedah (and my grandfather worked across the entire area) for a good 20-30 years!

The perth radar doesn't look like a doppler and has no rain finding or doppler wind - so is it really a doppler?

If it is, its deserved.. roughly the same latitude as Christchurch here with very similar topography.. its freakin scary flying in or out of NZCH, did it just before xmas, dont want to do it again in a hurry.

Adelaide and Perth are two that need it bigtime. Adelaide got theirs a long time ago now but I cannot believe Perth has not.

TS

looking at simmahs map above i can't help thinking that the parkes "fantasy" radar would be great, is there any talk of this one becoming reality at some stage?? A radar at parkes would provide great coverage for central NSW.


what about the BOM providing a DOW (doppler on wheels) and driving it to the areas most likely to be affected by severe storms on the day. If they need a driver i'm willing to make that sacrifice

New Perth radar official announcement at http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/wa/20100609.shtml

No Doppler!!!!!
What a shame. I wonder how much extra it would cost to make it Doppler?