Weather radar

A weather radar is a type of radar used to show where precipitation is. Weather radar can tell the movement of precipitation, what type it is (rain, snow, hail, etc.), and forecast its future.^[1]

Modern weather radars are mostly Doppler radars, which can find the direction and speed of rain drops and the intensity of the precipitation. Both types of information can be used to find the structure of storms and tell if they signify any severe weather (tornadoes, flash floods, etc.).

Weather Radar Media

Weather radar in Norman, Oklahoma with rainshaft
Darwin Airport weather radar (WF44 Radar). The radar is due for an upgrade in 2008 as part of the Bureau of Meteorology's Radar Network and Doppler Services Upgrade Project (RNDSUP)
University of Oklahoma OU-PRIME C-band, polarimetric, weather radar during construction
Typhoon Cobra as seen on a ship's radar screen in December 1944.
1960s radar technology detected tornado producing supercells over the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area.
NEXRAD in South Dakota with a supercell in the background.
A radar beam spreads out as it moves away from the radar station, covering an increasingly large volume.
The radar beam path with height
Scanned volume by using multiple elevation angles
NWS color scale of reflectivities.