Severe weather warnings around Otago will be issued with more certainty from today, after MetService switched on New Zealand’s newest weather radar.
MetService acting chief executive Keith Hilligan said the $3 million Otago Weather Radar, located 25km northwest of Dunedin, was 750m above sea level and provided excellent coverage of Dunedin city, the Taieri and Clutha River catchments, and eastern Otago from the Catlins to the Waitaki.
The facility is the 10th in the New Zealand network of weather radars owned and operated by MetService, and uses the latest dual polarisation technology which can identify different types of precipitation - be it rain, hail or snow.
Aside from its forecasting value to MetService meteorologists, real-time radar data was of great importance to hydrologists, emergency management staff and the coastal Otago community, to plan, prepare and make decisions based on the likely impact of weather, he said.
"It’s been a long time coming, but we know this radar will make a difference to Otago communities, and we are delighted it is in operation before Christmas.
"The radar further strengthens our national radar network, while providing additional resilience to Otago communities, especially in severe weather events."
MetService is designated as New Zealand’s only severe weather forecasting and warning authority through its contract with the Ministry of Transport, and the national weather radar network plays an essential role in the delivery of public-safety services.
Mr Hilligan said building the new radar to provide accurate coverage of coastal Otago’s complex terrain was a challenging project.
"There’s been many factors to consider. We reviewed more than 20 locations before even confirming the radar site."
All New Zealand radar imagery is updated every 7.5 minutes, and is available on metservice.com, MetService apps, and through MetService commercial products.
Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins said the community "desperately needed" a local weather radar.
"More accurate weather forecasting is helpful for anyone who works on the land, and means we’ll be able to plan our responses to extreme weather events more effectively."
Otago Regional Council operations general manager Gavin Palmer said the new weather radar joined a range of data inputs for more accurately predicting and understanding weather hazards facing coastal Otago, and particularly South Dunedin which is prone to flooding.
"It’s great to have the cutting edge in severe weather forecasting here in Otago, and it will have real benefits for our communities during floods."
