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Port Hedland Radar

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Port Hedland Radar Notes

Port Hedland Weather Watch RadarWestern Australia WA20.3790°S 118.6250°E 6m AMSL
LocationPort Hedland Airport
Radar TypeWF 44 S Band
Typical Availability24 hours

The Port Hedland Radar has an unrestricted 360 degree view with no permanent echoes. During the dry season (April through to December) occasional false echoes occur, generally characterised by small clusters or spots of very low intensity which appear to move at random, mostly over land. During the wet season, thunderstorm clouds and cyclonic formations are generally well defined for distances up to approx 250 kilometres. Beyond that distance signal attenuation gives the appearance of less intensity than possibly exists. These formations are easily identified against false echoes by their regular patterns in movement and direction. It is common in the wet season (primarily January to March) for thunderstorm cells to be seen on almost a daily basis in the area south of Port Hedland. Isolated growing storms can merge to form a line running in a NE/SW direction, located anywhere from 60 kilometres to 200 kilometres south of Port Hedland. Favourable locations for thunderstorm activity as seen on the radar in these events are generally over the ranges south of Port Hedland. During the wet months some anomalous propagation can occur out at sea, however it is generally distinguishable from "real" echoes by random movement and low intensity spots or clusters. Heavy rain directly over the radar site can cause attenuation of all signals. Path attenuation can also occur when the radar beam passes through intense rainfall, with the returned signals from cells further along that path reduced.

About Future Radar

Future radar is a new drop-down option available on the Weatherzone radar, allowing you to see where precipitation may fall in the next 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hour timeframe. It is a prediction that uses past radar and satellite data to infer the movement and intensity of precipitation. This differs from observed radar which uses physical instrumentation to measure and render precipitation as it happens.

Future radar performs best with broad scale weather systems. However there are limitations in its performance when volatile convective systems develop and change within a short timeframe, as these scenarios provide local impacts that are difficult to predict in terms of speed, direction, intensity and shape.

To help visually distinguish between past timeframes and future timeframes, the radar animation will show predicted radar imagery at reduced opacity. You have the option to turn future radar on or off as it suits your needs.

Latest News

Map Legend

Lightning Heatmap

  • 0.1
  • 15
  • 60
Lightning Pulses / Square kilometre per minute

Lightning Strikes

  • Latest
  • 15 MINS AGO
  • 30 MINS AGO
  • 45 MINS AGO
  • 60 MINS AGO

PlusGround Strike

SquareCloud to Cloud Strike

Obs Field (Rainfall - 10 mins)

  • < 0.2
  • < 0.6
  • < 1.2
  • < 2.4
  • < 5
  • < 10
  • 10+

Obs Field (Rainfall - Since 9AM)

  • < 0.2
  • < 5
  • < 10
  • < 25
  • < 50
  • < 100
  • 100+

Obs Field (Temperature)

0° C15° C40° C

Obs Field (Dew Point)

0° C10° C30° C

Obs Field (Wind km/h)

  • 0 - 19
  • 20 - 30
  • 31 - 39
  • 40 - 61
  • 62 - 87
  • 88+

Rain radar

Legend Rainfall Intensity

Light

Heavy

Thunderstorm Risk

  • Thunderstorms possible
  • Thunderstorms likely
  • Thunderstorms severe

Temperature Gradient Map

  • -8 °C
  • -4 °C
  • 0 °C
  • 4 °C
  • 8 °C
  • 12 °C
  • 16 °C
  • 24 °C
  • 28 °C
  • 32 °C
  • 36 °C
  • 40 °C
  • 44 °C
  • 48 °C

Warning Areas (BOM)

  • SEVERE WEATHER
  • FIRE
  • FLOOD
  • COASTAL WIND
  • MISC.

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