Abstract: A microburst precursor detector samples radar returns from meteorological radar signal reflectors and processes the signal returns in a statistical manner to determine average radar reflectivity and to extract Doppler signal parameters. The vertical velocity in still air and the vertical velocity of the meteorological radar reflectors are respectively determined from the average reflectivity and the Doppler signal parameters. The difference between the two vertical velocities is taken to determine the vertical wind velocity. The vertical wind velocity and the average reflectivity are processed to predict the occurrence of a microburst.

Abstract: A microburst precursor detector utilizes a multiplicity of radar beams and samples radar returns, in each beam, from meteorological radar signal reflectors and processes the signal returns in a statistical manner to determine average radar reflectivity and to extract doppler signal parameters. These parameters are utilized to determine a second set of parameters; average doppler frequency within each radar beam, doppler spectral spread within each radar beam, and the skewness of the doppler spectrum in each beam. The second set of parameters is processed to establish the existence of a microburst, predicted surface impact, time to impact, wind shear surface location and track, and the magnitude of the wind shear.