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Live forecasts update automatically; written guidance last reviewed 23 June 2026 by the Southern Pulse Weather Desk. Data from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and other national met services via Open-Meteo.
Weather radar uses pulses of radio waves to detect rain, hail, and snow in the atmosphere, showing you exactly where precipitation is falling and how heavy it is. The live radar above gives you a real-time picture of what’s heading your way.
How does a weather radar work?
A radar dish sends out short bursts of microwave energy. When those pulses hit raindrops, hail or snowflakes, a small fraction bounces back to the dish. By measuring the time delay, the radar knows the distance to the precipitation, and by the strength of the return signal it estimates the rainfall rate. The result is a coloured map of rain and storms moving across your region – from BOM weather radar for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast to local views like weather radar Noosa.
What practical information can you get from radar?
Radar is your best tool for short-term nowcasting – seeing if a shower will hit in the next hour. It shows the direction and speed of rain bands, helps identify severe thunderstorms, and lets you plan outdoor activities. For capital cities, the weather today radar loops are updated every six to ten minutes, giving you a reliable heads-up. Combined with forecast models, radar bridges the gap between satellite images and your backyard.
Why does radar sometimes show rain that never reaches the ground?
That’s called virga – rain that evaporates before hitting the ground. Radar detects the falling droplets aloft, but dry air below turns them to vapour, so you see a coloured echo but no wet ground.
How accurate is weather radar for rainfall amounts?
Radar is excellent at showing where rain is falling, but less precise at telling you exactly how much. For accurate totals, rain gauges on the ground are still the gold standard – radar gives a good estimate, not a measurement.
Can weather radar see snow?
Yes. Snowflakes reflect radar energy, though the signal is usually weaker than from rain of the same water content. Snow shows up as lighter colours on the radar display, and BOM’s radars handle it well across alpine areas.