CURRENT STATUS OF BMKG’s WEATHER RADAR

DATA QUALITY CONTROL

and IN-HOUSE PRODUCTS DEVELOPMENT

BMKG

Riris Adriyanto1), Donaldi S. Permana2), Iddam H. Umam1), Wahyu Argo1)

1) Division for Remote Sensing Data Management, Center for Public Weather Services
2)Division for Meteorology R&D, Center for Research and Development
BMKG Indonesia
 Existing & Planned Weather Radar Network
BMKG
Existing:
36 C-Band Radars
(Single Polarization)
4 X-Band Radars
(1 Single Polarization and
3 Dual Polarization)
27 Radar Site are currently connected to BMKG’s
HQ (HDSS Radar Integration)

Existing & Planned:

Existing Radars (40)

Planned in 2017 (1 Radar)

Planned 19 new
D-pol radars (2018 ~ …)

Remark : Radar’s Coverage 150 km (C-band) ; 400 km (S-band) ; 75 km (X-band)

 Weather Radar Sites (as of March 2017)
BMKG

No Radar Name Manufacturer Band No Radar Name Manufacturer Band

1 Ambon Vaisala C-Band 22 Medan EEC C-Band
2 Balikpapan EEC C-Band 23 Merauke EEC C-Band
3 Banda Aceh Gematronik C-Band 24 Nias Baron C-Band
4 Bandar Lampung EEC C-Band
25 Padang Gematronik C-Band
5 Banjarmasin EEC C-Band
26 Palangkaraya Gematronik C-Band
6 Bengkulu Gematronik C-Band
Biak EEC C-Band 27 Palembang Gematronik C-Band
7
8 Bima Gematronik C-Band 28 Palu EEC X-Band
9 Cilacap EEC X-Band 29 Pangkal Pinang Baron C-Band
10 Denpasar EEC C-Band 30 Pangkalanbun Gematronik C-Band
11 Gorontalo EEC C-Band 31 Pekanbaru EEC C-Band
12 Jambi Gematronik C-Band 32 Pontianak EEC C-Band
13 Jayapura EEC C-Band 33 Semarang Baron C-Band
14 Kendari EEC C-Band Sorong EEC C-Band
34
15 Kupang Baron C-Band
35 Surabaya Gematronik C-Band
16 Majene EEC X-Band
36 Tangerang EEC C-Band
17 Makassar Gematronik C-Band
Manado Gematronik C-Band 37 Tarakan EEC C-Band
18
19 Masamba EEC X-Band 38 Ternate Gematronik C-Band
20 Mataram Gematronik C-Band 39 Timika EEC C-Band
21 Maumere Gematronik C-Band 40 Yogyakarta Baron C-Band
Black = Integrated to HQ System Blue = Not yet integrated to HQ System Red = Dual-Polarization
 BMKG RDQC
 INTERNAL
1. Quality of Calibration
2. Optimizing Scanning Strategy
3. Post Processing
 have been implemented from 2015

 EXTERNAL
1. Dual / Multi Radar Doppler (Composite)  have been
implemented from 2009
2. Other Surface Observation System (AWS/ARG & LD) 
next plan
INTERNAL RDQC
1. Quality of Calibration

Calibration Technique:
Hardware and Software Calibration
Supporting System Calibration

 BMKG’s schedule for Weather Radar Maintenance and

Calibration with its contractors (local companies and
engineer from radar manufacturer): 2 x/year
INTERNAL RDQC
2. Optimizing Scanning Strategy
This Quality Control include :
Optimizing Parameter of Scanning Strategy (Clutter Filtering and Parameter
Thresholding)

Standard Parameter of Filtering and Optimized Parameter of Filtering and

Thresholding Thresholding
 INTERNAL RDQC
2. Optimizing Scanning Strategy part 2
Implementing Effective Maximum Range, Maximum Velocity
(Nyquist) for Operational Use
Implementing Best Scanning Strategy that consider Climate and
Topography Condition
Implementing Conditional Scheduler to cope with Severe
Weather

3. Post Processing
1.Clutter Filtering
2.Attenuation Correction
3.Bright Band Echo Correction
4.Masking / Occultation
5.Vertical Profile Correction
INTERNAL RDQC
Post Processing Implementation
Post Processing
Implementation
Post Processing
Implementation
 EXTERNAL RDQC
1. Dual/Multi Doppler Radar (Composite)
 This data QC has been implemented for Weather Radars those are connected to HQ Integration System
The Composite RDQC algorithm was developed by the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)/NWS/NOAA
& has been implemented into the preprocessing of radar integration system (HDSS) installed at BMKG-HQ.
 This algorithm ingests high resolution raw radar data and performs quality control on the data from each
individual radar
 very important in order to produce clean radar mosaics and excellent estimates of precipitation.
The Composite RDQC uses several steps to perform quality control on the individual radars including the use of
a neural network.
Steps contained in the RDQC are :
Terrain blockages are removed - only beam clearance >50 m and beam blockage <50% allowed to contain
radar reflectivity echoes.
Speckle filter - range gates are pre-classified so that echo sizes less than a threshold value will be removed.

Noise removal is performed - reflectivity below noise thresholds are removed

Sun strobes and test patterns are eliminated - each radial is checked for reflectivity fill >90% and
correlation coefficient >0.80.
Non-precipitation echoes are removed - echo top thresholds are applied to consider only radar echo where
the height of echo top is greater than a threshold height as precipitation.
EXTERNAL RDQC
Implementation
Figure below shows examples of the RDQCA processing applied to a radar (EEC C-band
radar in Jakarta), before and after images (data after application of the RDQCA).
 EXTERNAL RDQC
2. Other Surface Observation System (not yet implemented)

 This QC include :
1. Performs an objective analysis on the available rain gauge data.
2. Compares the radar derived estimates to the rain gauge
analysis to determine biases in the radar data.
3. Corrects the radar derived rainfall estimates based on the
gauge measurements.

 Challenges that we experience in this QC method :

1. Distribution of AWS/ARG
2. Data Quality and Continuity
 FLOWCHART

Processing
Clutter removal
Attenuation correction

Netcdf
Lat-lon

Permana et al (2016) – Weather radar data processing and recovery using

Python-based Wradlib , J. Met. Geo.
Clutter removal

clutter removal
Gabella et al (2002)

Data radar Palangkaraya

6 Mei 2016 pukul 15:36 UTC

Permana et al (2016) – Weather radar data processing and recovery using

Python-based Wradlib , J. Met. Geo.
Attenuation correction

Kraemer et al (2008)
Data radar Palangkaraya
6 Mei 2016 pukul 15:36 UTC

Permana et al (2016) – Weather radar data processing and recovery using

Python-based Wradlib , J. Met. Geo.
WRADLIB VS. RAINBOW® (GEMATRONIK)

Permana et al (2016) – Weather radar data processing and recovery using

Python-based Wradlib , J. Met. Geo.
WRADLIB VS. FROG-MURAN® (BARON)

Permana et al (2016) – Weather radar data processing and recovery using

Python-based Wradlib , J. Met. Geo.
OUTPUT (1)

TANGERANG

LAMPUNG
OUTPUT (2)
SURABAYA BENGKULU
REGIONAL KOMPOSITE-1 (JAWA-BALI)

REGIONAL KOMPOSITE-2
(SUMATERA)
Summary
 As of 2017, 40 Doppler weather radars (single / dual polarized C-band / X-
band) have been deployed by BMKG; 20 additional new generation weather
radars are needed to obtain minimum nation-wide radar coverage.
 Current radar data QC implemented in BMKG :
 Internal radar data QC : built-in radar data processing software (on site)
 External radar data QC : using RDQCA developed by NSSL-NWS/NOAA (at HQ
radar integration system)
 Future plan for External radar data QC : open for external
collaborations/technical assistance
 Using rain gauges data – network density issues
 Spsce-borne/satellite precipitation radar products - GSMaP, etc (?)
 On-going development by BMKG: In-house Radar Integration System.
 Expected outcome :
 Processing raw data to produce radar QPE and QPF – open for external
collaborations
 Challenges :
 Non-homogeneity in surface precipitation measurements
 Data continuity due to radar hardware problems
 Radar data for NWP assimilations – external collaborations needed
THANK YOU …..