References: Altube P., J. Bech, O. Argemí, T. Rigo and N. Pineda: Sun interference detection and characterization in weather radar-data: monitoring antenna pointing and receiver calibration; Llibre de les XIX Jornades de Meteorologia Eduard Fontserè, p 201., ACAM Barcelona, ISBN 978-84-934207-8-9, 2013. Altube, P., J. Bech, O. Argemí i T.Rigo (2014): “Quality Control of antenna alignment and receiver calibration using the Sun: adaptation to short to mid range weather radar observations”. Submitted to Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology in june, 2014. Argemí O., A. Belmonte, X. Fàbregas, N. Pineda, T. Rigo, J. Bech: Wwind turbine impact evolution and beam blockage analysis on the weather radar network of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, 7th European Conference on radar in Meteorology and Hydrology (ERAD) Toulouse, France, 25th to 29th June 2012. http://www.meteo.fr/cic/meetings/2012/ERAD/extended_abs/NET_013_ext_abs.pdf. Atencia, A., Rigo, T., Sairouni, A., Moré, J., Bech, J., Vilaclara, E., Cunillera, J., Llasat, M. C., and Garrote, L.: Improving QPF by blending techniques at the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 10, 1443-1455, 2010. Bech J., Codina B., Lorente J., Bebbington D., 2003: The sensitivity of single polarization weather radar beam blockage correction to variability in the vertical refractivity gradient. J Atmos Ocean Technol (20) 845-855, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1175/1520-0426(2003)020%3C0845:TSOSPW%3E2.0.CO;2 Bech J., T. Rigo, N. Pineda, S. Segalà, E. Vilaclara, R. Sànchez-Diezma, D Sempere-Torres: Implementation of the EHIMI software package in the weather radar operational chain of the Catalan Meteorological Service. 32nd Conf. on Radar Meteorology, American Meteorological Society , 2005, https://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/96479.pdf.

Belmonte A., Fàbregas X., 2010: Analysis of Wind Turbines Blockage on Doppler Weather Radar Beams, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, Vol. 9. Delrieu G., J. D.Creutin, H. Andrieu: Simulation of Radar Mountain Returns Using a Digitized Terrain Model. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, p. 1038-1049, Vol. 12, 1995. Harrison D., S. Hafner, M. Peura, P. Dupuy, M.Boscacci: Radar data quality management in operational environments, 6th European Conference on radar in Meteorology and Hydrology (ERAD), Adv. in Radar Technology, Sibiu, Romania, 2010. Holleman I. and H. Beekhuis, “Weather radar monitoring using the Sun”, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, KNMI Tech. Rep. TR-272, 2004. O’Hora et al., U. S. Patent nº: US 7,583,222 B2, Sep. 1, 2009. Sánchez-Diezma R., D Sempere-Torres, J Bech, E Velasco, 2002. Development of a hydrometeorological flood warning system (EHIMI) based on radar data, 2nd Eur. Radar Conf. European Meteorological Society. Copernicus Gesellschat, Delft, Holland. Trapero, L., J. Bech, T. Rigo, N. Pineda i D. Forcadell (2009): “Uncertainty of precipitation estimates in convective events by the Meteorological Service of Catalonia radar network”. Atmospheric Research, 93 (1-3), pp. 408-418. Aknowledgements: The first author would like to thank to Mr. Carles Cayuela and Mr. Raúl Rodríguez for their helpful contribution.

Generalitat de Catalunya

Departament de Territori i

Sostenibilitat

Servei Meteorològic

de Catalunya

QUALITY INDEXES TIME-SPACE CHARACTERIZATION OF SPECIFIC

GROUND ECHOES (dBT)

RADAR-QPE AND RAIN GAUGE BIASES 2 Radar-QPE and gauge biases online comparison (daily): • Individual / Composite • Corrected / Uncorrected (see: Atencia et al. 2010, Trapero et al. 2009, Bech et al. 2005, Sánchez-Diezma 2002).

Online monitoring of total reflectivity (dBT) for clear air fixed ground echoes selected specifically by radar: These indexes help to detect and quantify relative changes of the radar beam propagation.

Oriol Argemí(1)*, Patricia Altube(1,2), Tomeu Rigo(1), Joan Bech(2), Nicolau Pineda(1), Xavier Ortiga(3) *Corresponding address: oargemi@meteo.cat

(1) Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Barcelona, Catalonia (2) Astronomy and Meteorology Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia

(3) ADASA SISTEMAS S.A.U, Barcelona, Catalonia

TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF MONITORING AND DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN THE WEATHER RADAR NETWORK OF THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF CATALONIA (SMC)

ABSTRACT: The main objective of the SMC weather radar network (XRAD) is to provide with quantitative precipitation estimates (QPE) the area of Catalonia. The XRAD, which is composed of four C-band Doppler weather radars, and also its subsequent products give support to the operational weather surveillance that makes easier the management of warnings for civil protection. This is particularly challenging in a densely populated area, with complex topography and relatively

small catchments prone to flash flooding by frequent heavy precipitation events. Based on recommendations about quality provided by OPERA-EUMETNET and other international sources, such as the Global Precipitation Measurement Project (GPM), the SMC has focused on attaining a better quality control of its radar data generation. In this work, some operative results are presented (see also their references).

DAC.P22 France

Spain

PDA

CDV

LMI PBE

Receiver monitoring: Noise test

radar task (hourly)

Pointing direction AZ = 0,5°; EL= 30°;

Noise Power generator activation

1000 samples of this noise source

Power Window Output (Range Time

Interval IRIS® product output)

Thermal stability in the radar

Tx/Rx system and electronics

Radar enclosure in a thermally

conditioned room with air

coolers/heaters

A humidity&temperature sensor is

installed within the RF front-end

(hourly samples)

RADAR MONITORING AND QUALITY CONTROL

Tx/Rx THERMAL STABILITY

AZ-Encoder breakdown

1

B

C

A

RECEIVER CALIBRATION

ANTENNA POINTING MONITORING: EXAMPLE OF

MISALIGNEMENT DETECTION

CDV A

B C

M1: SUNCAL OFFLINE (radar maintenance methodology using the Sun as reference; IRIS ®,

SIGMET-VAISALA)

M2: MAFRAD GROUND CLUTTER

(CRAHI ©, based on Delrieu et al. 1995)

M3: ONLINE SUNCAL

MONITORING (see: Altube at this conf.: DAC8.4, based on Holleman-Beekhuis,

2004)

ANTENNA CALIBRATION COMPARATIVE:

CHARACTERIZATION OF INTERFERING ELEMENTS

WINDMILLS / ANTENNAS AND TERRAIN BLOCKAGE EFFECTS

3

Analysis platform for radar beam impact blockage by windmills including realistic scenarios (see: Argemí et al. 2012, Belmonte-Fabregas 2010).

Ad-hoc analysis capabilities for wifi-wimax RLAN detected using Sun-monitoring detection method (see: Altube at this conferenece: DAC8.4).

WIFI-WIMAX RLAN INTERFERENCES