Application of weather Radar for operational hydrology in Canada – a review

Weather Radar provides real-time, spatially and temporally continuous precipitation data over a large area, and therefore it has been used for operational hydrology in Canada over the past decades. Recently, the focus on weather Radar in Canada has increased since the existing Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) C-band Radar network is replaced with S-band dual-polarized Radar. This paper aims to provide a wide-ranging literature review of the current Radar network in Canada and how it has been applied from a hydrological context. The review starts with an overview of the Canadian weather Radar network, emphasizing current and future developments. Next, the application of weather Radar in hydrology is summarized, including specific research and operational examples. Finally, some recommendations are provided for future studies based on new developments in Canada's weather Radar network.