Automated Recognition of Macro Downburst Using Doppler Weather Radar

Abstract

In light of the macro downburst’s ground divergent flow field characteristics and high reflectivity, this paper proposes an algorithm for identifying the downburst area using a Doppler weather radar low-level radial velocity and reflectivity factor (abbreviated as reflectivity, the same below). To binarize the radial velocity, perform quality control on the radial velocity and reflectivity, then combine the reflectivity and the radial velocity threshold. Following that, use the Eight-Neighborhood method to retrieve the positive and negative velocity connected regions and perform the connected regions. The positive and negative velocity pairs are then matched, and the zero Doppler velocity line between the positive and negative velocity pairs is extracted, followed by the center recognition of the positive and negative velocity downburst areas. The data of downbursts detected by Doppler radar in Jinan, Shandong Province, are used for algorithm verification in this paper. The results show that the proposed algorithm can detect the macro downburst area and identify the downburst center.