As we all know, weather radar came into existence during the Second
World War when aircraft detection radars had their vision limited by
echoes from rain bearing clouds. What was often considered to be of
nuisance value by the air force personnel trying to locate enemy
aircraft was seen as an opportunity by the weather men. Thus adversity
in one field was converted into an opportunity in another. Since then
weather radar has found myriad applications with the increased
sophistication of technology and processing systems. It has now become
an indispensable tool for the operational forecasters, cloud physicists
and atmospheric scientists. The current generation radar is but a
distant echo of the radars of the 1940s. As a result, its operation and
maintenance have become very complex, like the technology it uses.
Therefore, there is a definite requirement of focussing our special
attention not only on the science of radar meteorology but also on its
operational aspects. The present book, as pointed out by the author,
attempts to fill this gap. The author has presented the subject with a
balanced blend of science, technology and practice. The canvas is indeed
very broad. Starting with the history of weather radar development the
book goes on to discuss in a lucid style the physics of the atmosphere
related to radar observation, radar technology, echo interpretation,
different applications and finally attempts to look into the future to
indicate potential new opportunities in this field.
