Overview#

Hamburg’s python package for weather radar processing - pylawr - is a product of own algorithms and other products. The goal is to produce reliable and accurate estimates of precipitation based on noisy and cluttered radar measurements.

Measurements#

The origin of this package is the project Precipitation and Attenuation Estimates from a High-Resolution Weather Radar Network (PATTERN). For now, the Meteorological Institute of the Universität Hamburg operates two low-cost local area weather radars (LAWR) in the region of Hamburg. These single polarized X-band radars observing precipitation with following specifications [Lengfeld et al., 2014].

Performance parameters

Specifications

Range resolution

60 m

Time resolution

30 s

Angular resolution

2.8 deg

Sampling resolution in azimuth

1 deg

Maximum range

20 km

Calibration accuracy

+-1 dB

Frequency

9410 MHz

Beam width

2.8 deg

User Qualifications#

We defined three example users with different qualifications, who should be able to use the python package and took it into the development:

  • low-level-api (Experienced Programmer):

    You need no description, because you are able to use and expand the pylawr package.

  • functional-api (Applied User):

    You are able to create easy python scripts. We provide extended functions to use for important applications (e.g. read data to get the radar reflectivity, remove clutter, estimate the noise level, plot rain field, etc.).

  • script-api (Beginner):

    You are able to start a python script. We may provide scripts to process radar data, e.g. to process the actual radar measurements.

Directory Structure#

  • docs:

    The docs folder contains the files to build the documentation for this project.

  • examples:

    The examples folder contains some examples to show what could be done with the package.

  • pylawr:

    The pylawr folder contains the proper modules.

  • tests:

    The tests folder contains the tests for the different submodules.

List Of Abbreviations#

  • LAWR local area weather radar

  • WRX X-band weather radar

  • WRC C-band weather radar

  • MRR Micro rain radar

  • HHG LAWR/WRX located on the Geomatikum in Hamburg.

  • ALT LAWR/WRX located in Jork (Altes Land) in the southwest of Hamburg.

Why pylawr?#

The benefits and goals of pylawr package are:

  • Post- and operational processing of radar measurements in real time

  • Flexible plotting of weather radar data

  • Combined processed products of several X-Band radars with C-Band radar