Australia's weather radars

The majority of Australia's weather radars are operated by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), an executive agency of the Australian Government. The radar network is continually being upgraded with new technology such as doppler and dual polarisation to provide better now-casting. Doppler weather radars are able to detect the movement of precipitation, making it very useful in detecting damaging winds associated with precipitation,^[1] and determining if a thunderstorm has a rotating updraft, a key indicator of the presence of the most dangerous type of thunderstorm, a supercell.^[2][3][4]

Bureau of Meteorology weather radars

Radar sites of the BoM network, and indicative radar coverage in 2025. Inner radius (100 km) indicates generally reliable coverage. Outer radius (200 km) indicates general limit of potentially useful coverage. Beyond 200km, coverage is generally unreliable due to earth curvature but may occasionally be useful in larger weather systems such as tropical cyclones. Note: Does not show coverage degradation from obstructions.
Country of origin	Australia
Manufacturer	Various
No. built	69
Type	non Doppler, Doppler and dual polarisation
Frequency	C and S bands

The new dual polarisation radars give forecasters the ability to:

• detect debris in the atmosphere, leading to more accurate tornado warnings;^[5]
• distinguish between different precipitation types, leading to better estimations of hail size and severity;^[5]
• better identify areas of heavy rainfall, leading to more accurate flood warnings;^[6] and
• discern between precipitation and non-meteorological echoes such as chaff, birds, and insects.^[5]

The dual polarisation transition

The transition to polarimetric (dual-polarised) radars began in 2017 with the upgrade of 4 Meteor 1500 radars located in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Sydney.^[7] The network has further been enhanced through the installation of 8 new polarimetric Meteor 735 radars across WA,^[8] NSW^[9] & Victoria,^[10] and two polarimetric WRM200 radars^[11] manufactured by Vaisala, one to replace the radar in Dampier, WA which had been destroyed by severe tropical cyclone Damien in 2020, and one to replace an ageing radar near Gove in the Northern Territory. Nine new Meteor 1700s were also installed between 2021 and 2024, 7 located in Qld,^[12] and 2 in WA,^[8] all equipped with dual polarisation technology. All the radars with the model name 'Meteor' were manufactured by Selex ES, now Leonardo.

Specifications are available for the Meteor 735, Meteor 1700, and the Vaisala WRM200.

Future radar network upgrades

The BoM has plans^[13][14][15] to:

• build a new radar in Tennant Creek^[16]
• build a new radar in SW Western Australia in the Manjimup-Pemberton region^[17]
• build a new radar in SW Queensland in the Quilpie region^[18]

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory is served by the Captains Flat radar, located in New South Wales.

New South Wales

Weather radars in New South Wales^[9][19]

Name	Location	Elevation (metres)	Model Name	Beamwidth (degrees)	Range Resolution (metres)	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Rainfall Accumulations	Notes
Brewarrina	29°58′14.8″S 146°48′48.7″E	149	Meteor 735	1	250	C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Installed 2020[20]
Canberra (Captains Flat)	35°39′41.2″S 149°30′44.1″E	1383	DWSR74S14-13	2	250	S	Yes	No	Yes	Upgraded 2013[21]
Grafton	29°37′14.3″S 152°57′48″E	40	WSR74S-14	2	500	S	No	No	No
Hillston	33°33′7.9″S 145°31′43″E	144	Meteor 735	1	250	C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Installed Aug 2021[22]
Moree	29°29′24.9″S 149°50′46.3″E	220	WF100C-8	1.6	500	C	No	No	No
Namoi (Blackjack Mountain)	31°1′27.2″S 150°11′31″E	699	DWSR8502S-14	2	250	S	Yes	No	No
Newcastle	32°43′47.2″S 152°1′31.5″E	84	DWSR74S14-13	2	250	S	Yes	No	Yes	Upgraded Jun 2013[23]
Norfolk Island	29°2′17.6″S 167°56′28.9″E	~120	WF100C-8	1.6		C	No	No	No	The data from this radar is not in the national radar archive and therefore its metadata is inaccessible.
Sydney (Terrey Hills)	33°42′3″S 151°12′33.9″E	195	Meteor 1500	1	250	S	Yes	Yes[7]	Yes	Upgraded 2017[24]
Wagga Wagga	35°9′29.3″S 147°27′22.7″E	221	WF100C-8	1.6	500	C	No	No	No
Wollongong (Appin)	34°15′44.4″S 150°52′30.4″E	449	DWSR8502S-14	2	250	S	Yes	No	Yes	Upgraded 2013
Yeoval	32°44′40.1″S 148°42′29.1″E	487	Meteor 735	1	250	C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Installed May 2022[25] The radar suffers moderate beam obstruction between approximately 70° and 130° due to an area of elevated terrain, meaning there is an underestimation of rain intensity in the lowest radar tilt between the same bearings.
Kurnell	34°0′53.1″S 151°13′34.4″E	64	WSR81C-12	1	250	C	Yes	No	—	Decommissioned Archived radar data is uploaded here

Northern Territory

Weather radars in Northern Territory^[26][27]

Name	Location	Elevation (metres)	Model Name	Beamwidth (degrees)	Range Resolution (metres)	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Rainfall Accumulations	Notes
Alice Springs	23°47′42.2″S 133°53′20.1″E	545	WF100C-8	1.6	500	C	No	No	No
Darwin (Berrimah)	12°27′21.2″S 130°55′35.6″E	51	Wurrung 2502C	1	250	C	Yes	No	No	Upgraded Sep 2022[28]
Darwin Airport	12°25′28.6″S 130°53′31.5″E	38	Wurrung 2502C	1.6	250	C	Yes	No	No	Upgraded 2022[29]
Gove	12°16′8.1″S 136°49′13.2″E	61	WRM 200	1	250	C	Yes	Yes	No	Upgraded 2023[30]
Katherine (Tindal)	14°30′44.5″S 132°26′35.3″E	131	WSR81C-8	1.6	500	C	No	No	No
Warruwi	11°38′54.5″S 133°22′47.9″E	43	Wurrung 2502C	1	250	C	Yes	No	No	Installed Dec 2012[31]

Queensland

Weather radars in Queensland^[12][32]

Name	Location	Elevation (metres)	Model Name	Beamwidth (degrees)	Range Resolution (metres)	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Rainfall Accumulations	Notes
Bowen	19°53′8.7″S 148°4′32.4″E		WF100C-8	1.6	500	C	No	No	No
Brisbane Airport	27°23′29.5″S 153°7′47.9″E		MeteoPress C	1.7	250	C	Yes[33]	Yes	No	Decommissioned
Brisbane (Mt Stapylton)	27°43′3.8″S 153°14′24″E	150	Meteor 1500	1	250	S	Yes	Yes [7]	Yes	Upgraded Sep 2017[34]
Cairns	16°49′5.4″S 145°39′46.9″E	652	Wurrung 2502C	1	250	C	Yes	No	No	Upgraded Aug 2023.[35]
Emerald	23°32′58.4″S 148°14′21″E		DWSR 8502	2		S	Yes	No	No
Gladstone	23°51′18.4″S 151°15′45″E		WSR-74	2		S	No	No	No
Greenvale	18°59′51.5″S 144°59′45.1″E		Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes	Yes	Installed Dec 2021[36]
Gympie (Mt Kanigan)	25°57′26.4″S 152°34′36.9″E		DWSR 8502	2		S	Yes	No	Yes
Longreach	23°26′23.2″S 144°16′56.1″E		WF 100C-8	1.6		C	No	No	No
Mackay	21°7′2.1″S 149°13′2.2″E	42	Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes	No	Upgraded Dec 2023.[37]
Marburg	27°36′22.6″S 152°32′24.3″E	370	Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes	No	In November 2023, a new radar replaced an ageing WSR-74.[38] The radar suffers beam blockage on the tilts 0.6° and 0.83° to the W and SW of the radar, leading to an under-representation of reflectivity values between those bearings.
Mornington Island	16°39′50.8″S 139°10′52.4″E		WF 100C-8	1.6		C	No	No	No
Mount Isa	20°42′40.3″S 139°33′19″E	523	DWSR 8502	2		S	Yes	No	Yes	Installed Nov 2012[39]
Richmond	20°45′6.3″S 143°8′29.2″E		Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes[40]	Yes	Installed Sep 2022[41]
Taroom	25°41′46.2″S 149°53′53.4″E		Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes[42]	Yes	Installed Apr 2022[43]
Toowoomba	27°16′27.1″S 151°59′35.2″E		Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes	No	Installed Apr 2024[44]
Townsville (Hervey Range)	19°25′11.2″S 146°33′3.4″E		Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes	No	Upgraded Nov 2024[45]
Warrego	26°26′24.6″S 147°20′56.8″E		TVDR 2500	1.6		C	No	No	No
Weipa	12°39′59.1″S 141°55′28.7″E	44	Wurrung 2502C	1		C	Yes	No	No	Upgraded Aug 2015[46]
Willis Island	16°17′14.7″S 149°57′52.5″E		Wurrung 2502C	1.6		C	Yes	No	No	Upgraded Nov 2022[47]

South Australia

Weather radars in South Australia^[48][49]

Name	Location	Elevation (metres)	Model Name	Beamwidth (degrees)	Range Resolution (metres)	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Rainfall Accumulations	Notes
Adelaide (Buckland Park)	34°37′1.2″S 138°28′7.5″E		Meteor 1500	1	250	S	Yes	Yes[7]	Yes	Upgraded 2017
Adelaide (Sellicks Hill)	35°19′46.3″S 138°30′9″E		WF 100C-8	1.6		C	No	No	Yes
Ceduna	32°7′47.4″S 133°41′46.9″E		Wurrung 2502C	1.6		C	Yes	No	Yes	Upgraded May 2021[50]
Mt Gambier	37°44′51.7″S 140°46′28.6″E		WF 100C-8	1.6		C	No	No	No
Woomera	31°9′20.9″S 136°48′15.8″E		WF 100C-8	1.6		C	No	No	No

Tasmania

Weather radars in Tasmania^[51][52]

Name	Location	Elevation (metres)	Model Name	Beamwidth (degrees)	Range Resolution (metres)	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Rainfall Accumulations	Notes
Hobart (Mt Koonya)	43°6′45.4″S 147°48′18.8″E		Wurrung 2502C	1		C	Yes	No	Yes	Upgraded Nov 2022[53]
Hobart Airport	42°50′14.5″S 147°30′3.1″E		WF 100C-6	2		C	No	No	No
N.W. Tasmania (West Takone)	41°10′45″S 145°34′47.9″E		Wurrung 2502C	1		C	Yes	No	Yes	Upgraded Apr 2016[54]

Victoria

Weather radar in Victoria^[10][55]

Name	Location	Elevation (metres)	Model Name	Beamwidth (degrees)	Range Resolution (metres)	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Rainfall Accumulations	Notes
Bairnsdale	37°53′15.1″S 147°34′31.8″E		Wurrung 2502C	1.6		C	Yes	No	No
Melbourne	37°51′18.8″S 144°45′19.5″E		Meteor 1500	1		S	Yes	Yes[7]	Yes	Upgraded 2017
Melbourne (Broadmeadows)	37°41′23.5″S 144°56′50″E		Wurrung 2502C	1.6		C	Yes	No	Yes
Mildura	34°17′13.6″S 141°35′53.5″E		Meteor 735	1		C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Installed near Cullulleraine 2020
Rainbow	35°59′51.2″S 142°0′47.9″E		Meteor 735	1		C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Installed Mar 2020[56]
Yarrawonga	36°1′46.7″S 146°1′21.9″E		WSR 81C	1		C	Yes	No	No

Western Australia

Weather radars in Western Australia^[8][57]

Name	Location	Elevation (metres)	Model Name	Beamwidth (degrees)	Range Resolution (metres)	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Rainfall Accumulations	Notes
Albany	34°56′30.5″S 117°48′58.9″E		Meteor 735			C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Upgraded 2019
Broome	17°56′53.7″S 122°14′7.2″E		Wurrung 2502C			C	Yes	No	Yes
Carnavon	24°53′16.7″S 113°40′9.7″E		Wurrung 2502	1.6		C	Yes	No	No	Upgraded 2024[58]
Dampier	20°39′12.7″S 116°40′59.8″E		WRM 200	1	250	C	Yes	Yes[59][11]	Yes
Esperance	33°49′48.5″S 121°53′30.2″E		Meteor 735	1	250	C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Upgraded Feb 2020[60]
Geraldton	28°48′16.8″S 114°41′50.4″E		Meteor 735	1	250	C	Yes	Yes	Yes	Upgraded 2019
Giles	25°1′59.6″S 128°18′6.2″E		WF 100C-6			C	No	No	No
Halls Creek	18°13′44.1″S 127°39′46.1″E		Wurrung 2502C			C	No	No	No	Upgraded 2022[61]
Kalgoorlie	30°47′3.2″S 121°27′17.4″E		Wurrung 2502C			C	Yes	No	Yes	Upgraded 2021[62]
Karratha	20°59′29.3″S 116°52′33″E		Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes	No	Installed Oct 2024[63]
Learmonth	22°6′11.4″S 113°59′58.7″E		TVDR 2500			C	No	No	No
Newdegate	33°5′49″S 119°0′31.6″E		Wurrung 2500C			C	Yes	No	Yes	Installed Oct 2016[64]
Perth (Serpentine)	32°23′30.3″S 115°52′1″E		Meteor 1700	1	250	S	Yes	Yes	Yes	Upgraded Nov 2022[65]
Perth Airport	31°55′38.2″S 115°58′32″E		Wurrung 2502C			C	No	No	No
Port Hedland	20°22′18.7″S 118°37′54″E		TVDR 2500			C	No	No	No
South Doodlakine	31°46′40″S 117°57′10″E		Wurrung 2502C			C	Yes	No	Yes	Installed Feb 2017[66]
Watheroo	30°21′36.7″S 116°17′22.9″E		Wurrung 2502C			C	Yes	No	Yes	Installed Jun 2017[67]
Wyndham	15°27′6.1″S 128°7′15″E		WF 100C-8			C	No	No	No

Research Radars

Note:

• Whilst the BoM may/may not own these radars, they are often involved with the radars for research applications.

Research radars^[68]

Name	Location	Elevation	Operational status	Radar model	IEEE Frequency Band	Doppler	Dual Pol	Notes
CPOL	12.245°S 131.045°E / -12.245; 131.045	50m	Inactive (6/12/1998 - 2/5/2017)	N/A	C	Yes	Yes	The data which CPOL has collected is used to study the microphysical and dynamic properties of thunderstorm convection in Darwin, Australia, enabling the improvement of atmospheric models' representations of the convection formed during the pre-monsoon buildup and active monsoon.[69][70]
CP2	27.6689°S 152.8627°E / -27.6689; 152.8627	185.5m	Inactive (1/11/2007 - 1/6/2015)	N/A	S & X	Yes	Yes	The CP2 Research radar was a 1970's era radar, which the BoM received as a gift from the NCAR in the United States. The BoM retrofitted it with modern parts which gave it the unique ability to collect data at two frequencies, S and X band. The upgrades also provided state of the art dual polarisation and doppler technologies. The CP in its title stands for cloud physics, and the radar has been used to research thunderstorms, drive improvements in rainfall measurements and hail detection and explore the potential for cloud seeding.[71]
Ocean Pol	N/A (Mobile radar)	22m	Active (22/3/2015-)	N/A	C	Yes	Yes	This research radar is installed on the RV Investigator, an ocean research vessel. The radar collects data on research voyages, including trips to Antarctic waters, Heard Island and circumnavigations of Australia.[72]
UQXPOL[73]	N/A (Mobile radar)	N/A	Active (14/10/2014-)	Furuno WR-2100	X	Yes	Yes	This research radar is operated by the University of Queensland and has been involved with research to improve hail detection and hail size prediction algorithms,[74] and also with research into bushfires and pyroconvection as part of a $1 million google.org philanthropic venture.[75][76]
Monash University x-band	N/A (Mobile radar)	N/A	Active	Meteor 60DX	X	Yes	Yes