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Welcome to the Hong Kong Observatory's Radar Image Gallery.
The Observatory has been using weather radar for weather monitoring and forecasting since 1959. Over the years, several generations of weather radar have been deployed, capturing at various times weather phenomena of interest to both the public and the weather forecasters. Readers interested in a history of weather radar used in Hong Kong and how a radar works may like to visit:
Weather Radar Observations In Hong Kong
50th Anniversary of Weather Radar Observations in Hong Kong Commemorative Booklet
The radar image gallery contains radar pictures of severe weather including tropical cyclones, rainstorms, hailstorms and thunderstorms. There are also pictures containing artifacts caused by special conditions in the atmosphere and by the way the radar is operated. These pictures are included in the gallery to remind the reader the importance of interpreting radar pictures with caution.
Apart from providing knowledge of weather radars, we wish to heighten the public awareness towards disaster preparedness through this gallery.
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| Storms and Precipitation |
Event Date |
Description |
| Evening Thunderstorms |
31 August 2003 |
A tropical cyclone far away can sometimes bring thunderstorms to Hong Kong. |
| Gust Front |
4 August 2003 |
Heavy downpours can bring severe gust, whose foremost edge is known as the gust front. |
| Isolated Shower |
1 July 2003 |
Isolated showers appear as small individual patches on a radar image. |
| Winter Rain |
6 January 2003 |
In winter, rain is usually brought about when warm and cold air masses meet. |
| Winter Thunderstorms |
19 December 2002 |
A cold front can also bring thunderstorms during the cool season. |
| Tornado |
20 May 2002 |
The terminal Doppler weather radar at Tai Lam Chung captured a tornado in May 2002 for the first time since its operation in 1998. |
| Squall Line |
9 May 2001 |
Squally thunderstorms within a squall line. |
| Hailstorm |
9 April 2001 |
Hail occurs on average about once every one to two years and mostly in spring. |
| Rainstorm |
24 August 2000 |
A tropical cyclone can sometimes bring heavy rainfall even though it did not make a direct hit. |
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| Tropical Cyclones |
Event Date |
Description |
| Typhoon Dujuan |
2 September 2003 |
A typhoon with double eye walls. |
| Severe Tropical Storm Hagupit |
11 September 2002 |
Hagupit has asymmetric distribution of rain bands. |
| Typhoon Yutu |
25 July 2001 |
The spiral rain band of Yutu is a typical characteristic of a tropical cyclone. |
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| Artifacts |
Event Date |
Description |
| Sea Clutter |
24 July 2003 |
Sea Clutter is a kind of spurious echoes that is caused by reflection from rough seas. |
| Second Trip Echo |
19 June 2003 |
A distant rain area can sometimes show up on the radar image as "Second trip echo". |
| Anomalous Propagation |
31 May 2003 |
Under certain weather conditions, radar can give a false impression of rain. Users must exercise utmost care when interpreting radar images. |
| Sunlight |
21 May 2003 |
Radar captures and displays signals from the sun, particularly during sunrise and sunset. |
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