The Bolton experiment: experimental setup

An Experimental Test of the Use of Microwave Attenuation to improve Rainfall Estimates in Urban Areas, and hence to Enhance Flood Warning. Data was collected from microwave and radar links and a number of telemetered tipping bucket raingauges. The adjacent relief map of the catchment area, shows the position of the links (white lines) together with the locations of the rainguages (blue dots). View larger image Four links were set up, three dual-frequency and one single-frequency. The shorter links to the west cover Bolton's town centre. The link to the east is a link to the UK Met Office Hameldon Hill C-band weather radar. Not only does this pass along the valley of the River Irwell, but, being radial from the radar, enables estimates of the effects of attenuation on radar data to be estimated. Data were also available from a number of telemetered tipping bucket raingauges most of which belong to North West Water and the Environment Agency. The Met Office also installed two automatic weather stations (marked by red crosses).