Weather Radar Networking, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1992 COST 73 Project / Final Report

Over the past twenty years, there has been a rapid expansion in the number of opera­ tional, digital weather radars in Europe. Work within COST 73 stimulated the use of data from these radars and also demonstrated the potential of the international exchange of weather radar data in near real-time. The Management Committee of the COST 73 Project have laid the foun­ dations upon which future international operational radar networking may be built in Europe, and has indicated the directions that future weather radar technological developments might take. Throughout this five year Project, it has been possible to achieve success o~ through the goodwill of the participants. The considerable international co-operation is, in no smaIl measure, the underpinning reason why the Management Committee of COST 73 have been able to address such a wide range of topics within the general category of international weather radar networking. It has been an honour to have had the opportunity to act as Chairman of a group of meteorolo­ gists, engineers and managers possessing such a wide variety of talents and experience. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their many and varied contributions.

1.0 Introduction.- 2.0 Summary and Recommendations.- A. Summary.- B. Recommendations.- 3.0 Organisation of Work in the Project.- The form and role of the Management Committee.- Financing of the Project.- Support of the CEC.- Project Co-ordinator.- Report structure and working groups.- Total estimated cost of the COST 73 Project.- Seminars.- 4.0 Study Results from the Project.- Radar networking in Europe.- Current distribution and types of radar.- Operational radar characteristics.- Conventional radars.- Doppler radars.- System outputs and usefulness.- Radar data generation and analyses used in different countries - obtained from the results of a questionnaire.- A proposal for a radar meteorology training curriculum.- Training curriculum.- Radar site processing.- Format for COST purposes.- Results of weather radar measurements.- Doppler radar products.- Clutter characteristics.- Calibration of radar equipment and adjustment of radar data.- Software structure.- Low-cost display systems.- The use of PCs.- End user requirements and applications of weather radar data.- Data transmission.- The Co-operative Olympus data experiment.- Results of trials and other experiences in radar data transmission.- Software for coding and decoding radar images in FM 94 BUFR.- Radar network centres.- Products.- A proposal for weather radars to be located in the North Sea.- The way ahead.- Electronically scanning radar antenna.- International exchange of radar data.- International co-ordination and funding.- Development of applications for the benefit of the economy of Europe.- 5.0 Recommendations.- Operational networking continuity.- Guidelines for the exchange of radar products.- Data transmission.- Network structure.- North Sea radar coverage.- Electronically scanning radar project.- Follow-on COST project.- Multi-national hydrological applications.- Training.- Wet deposition of pollution.- Radar systems database.- Acknowledgements.- 6.0 References.- 7.0 Annexes.- 1: Memorandum of Understanding.- 2: Meetings and Membership of the Management Committee.- 3: List of COST papers and Working Documents.- 4: Glossary of terms related to radar and satellite data.- 5: Specification of FM-94 BUFR.- 6: Proposals for additional multi-national radar based products.- 7: Proposed new COST Project on advanced radar systems.- 8: Severe weather definitions and useful algorithms.- 9: Advanced radars: current measurement capability.