Weather Question - Radar Feeds

[Donsan]

Last night as I watch the local weather forecast, the West Palm Beach (WPB) channel we were watching had a radar scan of the Atlantic Ocean and even parts of West Africa. They were showing the tropics to identify tropical disturbances. On my iPad, I regularly use an app called MyRadar. It is a real nice app and picks up weather systems in North America, Western Europe and even Japan. But, it doesn't seem to pick up world wide radar scans or even the tropics.

So, where is the WPB station getting its radar feeds of the Atlantic Ocean and the tropics? Are there any real time radar apps that will provide world wide radar scans?

 

[denverd0n]

They are probably not actually radar scans. At least what our local stations here in Tampa show are satellite images with overlays that make them appear a lot like a radar. I'm guessing that is what you were seeing.

 

[Donsan]

They are probably not actually radar scans. At least what our local stations here in Tampa show are satellite images with overlays that make them appear a lot like a radar. I'm guessing that is what you were seeing.

If that is correct, I certainly was I fooled! I always thought the the North American feeds were doppler radar scans from NOAA. It would seem to me the satellite images would be quite helpful to boaters if available real time in a radar type format.

 

[psneeld]

The North American feeds usually are, that's why you see the circles end offshore in many broadcasts. Plus you can pull up the individual sites and see where heavy rain is masking weather beyond it. There is the composite regional and national maps, buy am pretty sure those are still radar input.

There are products out there that may be a computer generated picture using both satellite and radar, but usually called map something or something map (like wunder map from weather underground).

https://www.wunderground.com/prepare/understanding-radar