Radar

Wyndham Radar has an unrestricted 360 degree view from a commanding site 350 metres above sea level. Though no major permanent echoes appear, a small amount of low intensity clutter may be visible around parts of the coast and the surrounding islands. Wyndham Radar is occasionally susceptible to varying amounts of false echoes over the land, particularly during the dry months. Such echoes are generally characterised by erratic movement and on occasion may show significant intensity. During the wet season between December and March, anomalous propagation may cause false echoes to appear for distances of some tens of kilometres along the coastline and seawards. The installation dates from mid-2001 and it may take some time to gain particular experience with these anomalous effects which vary both seasonally and with time of day. Comparison with satellite images is often helpful in identifying spurious radar echoes. During the wet season (primarily January to March), thunderstorm clouds and cyclonic formations are generally well defined for distances up to 250 kilometres and occasionally further for structures which extend to high altitudes. Beyond that distance attenuation effects may give the appearance of less intensity than possibly exists. These formations are easily distinguished from false echoes by their general appearance and behaviour, e.g. regular rates of movement in distance and direction. Thunderstorm activity can often be seen on a daily basis during the wet season. Heavy rain directly over the radar site can cause attenuation of all echoes. Path attenuation can also occur when the radar beam passes through intense rainfall, with the returned signals from cells further along that path reduced. Extreme effects of this kind are generally fairly short lived as the rain bearing systems tend to move relative to the radar and to each other.