New systems are the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) 1 and the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS). In recent years, added improvements in short-range forecasting and nowcasting have also resulted from the development of integrated observing systems that blend data from weather radar and other instruments to produce a more complete picture of atmospheric conditions.

Such advances have been enabled through a combination of progressive improvements in radar hardware, signal processing, automated weather-based algorithms, and displays. Radar measurements have also been key to many remarkable advances in our understanding of the atmosphere and to better weather prediction over a variety of temporal and spatial scales. They are also used regularly for recreational planning and other weather-impacted activities. Today, weather radars improve aviation safety and increase the operational efficiency of the entire air transport industry, and they contribute to agriculture alerts and flood warnings through monitoring of rainfall intensity. Weather radar also monitors larger weather systems such as hurricanes that often include similar phenomena but can extend over very large areas. Of particular importance has been its ability to detect and warn of hazards associated with severe local storms that include hail, tornadoes, high winds, and intense precipitation. In the past half century, weather radar has advanced greatly and has played increasingly important roles that span a wide spectrum of meteorological and climatological applications. Principles of radar have led to the development of other similar technologies such as sonar, sodar and lidar (laser radar) that permit detection of phenomena and targets in the oceans and in the optically clear air. Radars today are used to detect and track aircraft, spacecraft, and ships at sea as well as insects and birds in the atmosphere measure the speed of automobiles map the surface of the earth from space and measure properties of the atmosphere and oceans. Role of Radar in the Weather and Climate Observing and Predicting System

United states doppler weather radar