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Live forecasts update automatically; written guidance last reviewed 23 June 2026 by the Australia Watch Weather Desk. Data from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and other national met services via Open-Meteo.
Weather radar shows you where rain, hail or snow is falling in real time, usually within a 200–250 km radius of each radar station. Live imagery on this page updates every 6–10 minutes, letting you track approaching storms right now.
How does weather radar actually work?
A weather radar sends out a pulse of microwave energy that bounces off raindrops, hailstones or snowflakes. The stronger the signal that returns, the heavier the precipitation. Different colours on the display — light blue through to red and purple — indicate increasing intensity. Most Australian radars are C‑band or S‑band; S‑band handles heavy rain better but is less common here. The Bureau of Meteorology operates the national network, which covers most populated areas including weather radar sydney, weather radar melbourne, weather radar brisbane and weather radar adelaide.
What can the live radar tell me about my local weather?
Look at the past few frames using the animation controls (often a loop of 6–8 images). Movement from west to east is typical, but coastal systems can stall. If you see a band of red approaching, that’s heavy rain likely arriving within 30–60 minutes. For coastal regions such as the weather radar gold coast or weather radar noosa, radar is especially useful for tracking showers moving in from the ocean. The weather radar bom feed from the Bureau is the most reliable source; the weather radar brisbane bom page is updated with the same data as the national network.
What’s the difference between reflectivity and velocity on a weather radar?
Reflectivity shows how much rain is falling (intensity). Velocity uses the Doppler effect to indicate whether rain is moving toward or away from the radar, useful for spotting wind shifts and rotation in storms.
Why does my local weather radar sometimes show gaps or missing data?
Radar beams can be blocked by hills or buildings (called “radar shadows”). Also, very light drizzle or snow may return a weak signal, and the radar may not detect it. Ground clutter from insects or birds is often filtered out automatically.
Can I use the live radar to plan outdoor activities tomorrow?
Radar is only for real-time observations, not forecasts. For tomorrow’s outlook, combine radar with a Weather Forecast Australia page and check the Bureau’s official predictions. The live radar above is best for the next hour or two.
Sources
For more detailed regional radar views, visit our Australia weather hub or check the Severe Weather Warning page if storms are active.