World Meteorological Organization

Purpose: develop regulatory and guidance material on operational weather radars, including, the standardization of systems requirements and specifications, quality control, maintenance and operation, data processing algorithms, data products and quality monitoring, weather radar networking and composites, and scanning strategies. Contribute to development of methods, data models and formats for the international exchange of weather radar data and metadata.
ToR:

The Expert Team on Operational Weather Radar (ET-OWR) shall undertake tasks and provide advice on and support for the implementation of the WIGOS framework and the priority activities of the WMO Strategic Plan (2024-2027), in accordance with the SC-MINT Terms of Reference.
Under the governance of SC-MINT, and in collaboration with SC-ON and SC-IMT, ET-OWR will act as the WMO primary working group on operational weather radars with responsibility to:

1. Develop and maintain guidance material, best practices, standards and specifications related to operational weather radars (in particular WMO-No. 1257 and WMO-No. 8), including the standardization of systems requirements and specifications, quality control, maintenance and operation, data processing algorithms, data products and quality monitoring, weather radar networking and composites, scanning strategies, and radar calibration/adjustment and testing methods.
2. Contribute to development of methods, models and formats for the international exchange and archiving of weather radar data and metadata, supporting real-time and offline applications.
3. Provide governance of the WMO Weather Radar Database, and collaborate with SC-ON/ET-WTR, with the objective of achieving integration with OSCAR/Surface.
4. Review and report on potential operational developing and emerging weather radar research and technologies (e.g. phased array surveillance weather radars, solid-state radars).
5. Where appropriate and as directed by SC-MINT, undertake activities with, or provide advice and/or guidance to WMO Members, standing committees, working groups or expert teams on:
a. observing system and network design;
b. radio-frequency allocation and protection; and
c. training and capacity development.
6. Where appropriate and as directed by SC-MINT, collaborate with other international and regional organizations on relevant matters, particularly including international standards organizations and research bodies and associations.
7. Contribute to the promotion and sharing of the team’s aims, activities and outputs with the international radar and other relevant communities as appropriate and/or as requested by the governing standing committees.