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Radar Map Features

Radar Map Layers

The enhanced radar viewer allows for viewing of 4 image loops of 128 km radius and 256 km radius radar images. The visibility of map details, including current weather observations, forecast districts, roads, railways, lakes and major rivers, river basins and topography can be optionally selected during radar loops to help better reference the information displayed.

Example of a frame from a 128 km radar loop


Example of a frame from a 128 km radar loop.


There are five layers displayed by default when the radar map is opened: lakes and major rivers, river basins, range, topography and locations.

radar map display options


Radar map display options.

The layers displayed may be varied by checking or unchecking the boxes listed under the radar map. To quickly display all the layers, click the "select all" button. To quickly clear the displayed layers, click the "clear all" button.

Click here for more information about the weather observations layer

Place Names and Topography

Place names were chosen to assist in relating areas of rain to landmarks, and not because of the size of a town. In some cases where there are two places close to one another, one name is placed on the 128 km range map and the other on the 256 km range.

The topographic scale is shown on the maps with the following colour scale:

Topographic colours

Topographic colours

Longitude and Latitude

During radar loops, if you move your mouse over the radar map, the boxes on the right hand side show the latitude and longitude of the on-ground position of the mouse pointer. In the following example, the mouse is centered on the Sydney radar.


Radar map coordinates Radar map pointer

Radar map coordinates

Radar map coordinates

Also displayed is distances from the current origin, which is usually the centre of the map. You can set a new origin by clicking your desired point on the map.

Date and Time Stamps

At the bottom of the image, the location of the radar, date, time and the maximum radar range (e.g. 128 km or 256 km) are listed. The image time and date are currently in "UTC" (Coordinated Universal Time), which is the same as "GMT" (Greenwich Mean Time). The equivalent EST, CST and WST time zones are indicated below the image. During Daylight Saving EDT and CDT are also shown.