The radar investigation of the small scale structure of precipitation in orographically forced and normal conditions

A variety of small high space time resolution radars as well as high time resolution raingages and disdrometers have been developed with a view to detecting the small scale structure of precipitation fields. This equipment has been deployed at our reasonably flat field site near Auckland and in mountainous terrain in other parts of New Zealand and Australia. A variety of weather systems have been observed including a sub Tropical Cyclone. Structures observed include some very narrow (less than 100m) curtains of heavy precipitation as well as small scale rain events triggered by topography. The consequences of this rich morphology of small scale structures in rainfall patterns is discussed briefly in the context of the accuracy of rainfall measurements by radar and short term quantitative precipitation forecasting.