HYRAD: Rainfall estimation from weather radar
About HYRAD
HYRAD is an advanced weather radar display system for PCs providing real-time receipt of radar and other hydrometeorological products, database and archiving facilities, and a hydrological processing kernel for improved rainfall estimation and forecasting.
The HYRAD kernel pre-processes radar data to remove residual anomalies, forms more accurate rainfall estimates by merging radar and raingauge data, and constructs rainfall forecasts.
Catchment average time-series can be produced for all products. These time-series can be displayed in total and cumulative form as a guide to flooding risk or passed via an automated interface to Flow Forecasting and Modelling Systems used in flood warning.
The quality-assured software operates as resilient Client-Server system capable of serving hundreds of clients.
HYRAD is the standard radar display system used by government agencies for flood warning across England, Wales, Scotland and Belgium.
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Display of cumulative rainfall fields over minutes, hours, days and months |
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System monitoring of real-time data reception |
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Static and rapid display of images in multiple windows with zoom and pan |
Functionality
HYRAD provides:
- real-time reception of weather radar products and other space-time images conforming to a standard format protocol (e.g. fields of potential evaporation, soil moisture, runoff, weather prediction model forecasts of rainfall and temperature)
- configurable inclusion of radar products, such as single-site radar, national and European composites – handling different space-time resolutions and map projections
- system monitoring of real-time data reception
- static and animated display of images in multiple windows and with zoom and pan
- user configured overlays and underlays providing geographical context information, such as raingauge locations, river networks, catchment boundaries and coastlines
- display of cumulative product fields over minutes, hours, days and months
- statistical analysis of product fields for a selected point, rectangle or catchment
- an efficient database and archiving system
- calculation of catchment average product time-series for display and onward transmission to Flow Forecasting and Modelling Systems
- a Hydrological Processing Kernel providing:
- radar pre-processing to correct for static anomalies and transient clutter
- more accurate rainfall estimation by merging radar and rainfall data
- radar rainfall forecasting
- calculation of rainfall fields from raingauge data alone
- a tool for creating composite or modified products by merging, averaging and cropping
- an automated interface to Flow Forecasting and Modelling Systems
System architecture
A client-server architecture is used in which the data reception, database system, archiving and Radar Hydrology Kernel software typically runs on a Unix, Linux or Windows server machine. PCs running Microsoft Windows Vista, NT, 2000 or XP are used to support the Graphical User Interface and visualisation facilities (the HYRAD Display Client). The HYRAD Display Client interfaces with the server using a sockets interface (typically the Internet protocol).
Further information
Please contact:
| Bob Moore |
| Centre for Ecology & Hydrology |
| Maclean Building |
| Benson Lane |
| Crowmarsh Gifford |
| Wallingford |
| Oxfordshire |
| OX10 8BB |
| T: +44 (0)1491 692262 |
| F: +44 (0)1491 692424 |
| E-mail: hyradsupport@ceh.ac.uk |
