Climate Talk

How to actually read a weather radar (quick guide)

Typhoon and monsoon seasons make everyone open radar apps, but many people read them wrong. Short notes:

Colours show rain intensity (reflectivity), not total amount. Yellow/red for 10 minutes can drop less than light green for 3 hours.

Animate the loop. A single frame tells you nothing about direction. Watch 30-60 minutes of frames to see movement and speed.

Range rings: far from the radar site, the beam is higher up, so it can miss low rain or show rain that evaporates before reaching the ground.

Forecast radar (the future frames some apps show) is a model extrapolation. Good for 1 hour, unreliable after 2-3.

Korea's KMA site and most national weather services have free radar. Use those over random apps if possible.