PANAJI: Though the high-tech ‘made in China’ Doppler radar will arrive at the state meteorological observatory, Altinho within next two weeks, the ongoing construction of the building in the vicinity of the observatory for installation of the radar is behind schedule by at least three weeks. The Doppler radar will be replacing the one-and-half decade old cyclonic detection radar existing at the observatory.

Observatory sources maintained that this delay in construction of the building is due to the technical problems. "Nevertheless, the new radar, in all probability will be installed before the arrival of monsoon," they added. It was also maintained that any haste in the construction of the tower for setting up the radar could give way to leakages, which in turn could damage the Doppler radar machinery.

The Doppler radar, first of such radar being made available to the western coastline is priced at Rs 5 crore, and can provide information about cloudburst, cyclone, heavy winds and so on, three hours in advance. A similar radar is planned at Colaba in Mumbai, while two more bell radars are destined for Bhuj and Cochin.

Doppler radar is a device that makes use of the Doppler Effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by beaming a microwave signal towards a desired target and listening to its reflection, then analysing how the original signal has been altered by the object(s) that reflected it. Variations in the frequency of the signal give direct and highly accurate measurements of a target’s velocity relative to the radar source and the direction of the microwave beam.