The $3million facility is located 25km northwest of Dunedin, 750m above sea level, and provides excellent coverage of Dunedin city, the Taieri and Clutha River catchments, and eastern Otago from the Catlins to Waitaki.
Otago Regional Council operations general manager Gavin Palmer said the new weather radar joined a range of data inputs for more accurately predicting and understanding weather hazards facing coastal Otago and particularly South Dunedin, which was prone to flooding.
"The rain radar allows us to see at a glance where it is or isn't raining and at what sort of intensity, in real time.
"This is really beneficial to our situational awareness during a flood event, in which our 24/7 duty flood officers are taking in detailed information from several sources and needing to rapidly analyse it to draw conclusions during developing events.
"Over time, the data set from the radar will also improve our accuracy in modelling how events will develop in terms of impacts on river levels," he said.
MetService switched on New Zealand's newest weather radar in early December.
MetService acting chief executive Keith Hilligan said it used the latest dual polarisation technology, which could identify different types of precipitation, be it rain, hail or snow.
Aside from its forecasting value to MetService meteorologists, real-time radar data was of great importance to hydrologists, emergency management staff and the coastal Otago community, to plan, prepare and make decisions based on the likely impact of weather, he said.
"The radar further strengthens our national radar network, while providing additional resilience to Otago communities, especially in severe weather events."
