New weather radar based precipitation products adapted to inflow forecasting and hydropower scheduling

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The aim is to develop new weather radar based precipitation products adapted to the needs of the hydropower companies. The new products will use radar data both for assimilation into a numerical weather prediction model and for estimating ground precipita tion. An improvement in the quality of the precipitation input can directly translate into better inflow forecasts and lead to an increased benefit and a more efficient use of water for hydropower production. This is is also a benefit for the nation as a whole. The need for better precipitation products may be even more important in a future energy market where non-regulated renewable energy resources, including small scale hydropower, wind power, and solar power will be used to a larger extent. Then hy dropower will be essential for balancing purposes and to strengthen the flexibility and robustness of the energy systems. The need for balancing will be on both national and European scale and thus increase the possibilities for Norwegian hydropower produ cers to maximize their profits in an European electricity market. The main R&D challenges are a) to provide best possible radar data(reflectivity and wind) that are corrected for systematic and time-varying errors (attenuation, anomalous beam propagati on, blocking, false echoes), b) assimilate radar observations into Numerical weather prediction models to improve precipitation forecasts c) to implement rapidly updated weather forecasts where radar data might be assimilated eg. every 3 hours d) to trans late radar reflectivity into precipitation amounts falling on the ground by including VPR-correction and calibrated relationship between radar reflectivity and precipitation amounts and the effect of orography. All routines will be implemented in the prod uction chain at met.no and be integrated into met.no's new system for distribution of weather products. The radar products will be introduced in the services provided by Powel for the hydropower industry.