Meteorological Radars - Azores Mission Structure for Space

Meteorological radars are of utmost importance for the AAR, particularly as regards the safety of populations, allowing weather events to be predicted and serving as a support for air navigation.

The Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosphere (IPMA), the former Institute of Meteorology (IM), currently has its own radar network on the mainland, consisting of three operational radars — Coruche (set up in 1998), Loulé (set up in 2006) and Arouca — and another planned and already funded guaranteed funding of EUR 2,7 million (from the 2017 State budget) to be built in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM).

Resolution of the Assembly of the Republic No 100/2010 recommended that the Government: “... (ii) installing three meteorological radars in the Autonomous Region of the Azores (RAA); (III) equip RAM and AAR with surface stations needed to improve weather forecasts.

The only meteorological radar in the RAA, which supported IPMA in weather forecasting and surveillance, was owned by the US defence department and was installed in the Santa Barbara saw on the island Terceira. This infrastructure was only able to cover the core group of RAA, used 30 year old technology, had a high maintenance cost and in the pre-off phase was already switched off or with communications interrupted for relatively large periods of time. In April 2016, with the complete withdrawal of the American infrastructure from the USAF from the Serra de Santa Barbara, the meteorological radar was permanently deactivated there.

The Serra de Santa Bárbara is the best location on Island Terceira for the installation of such an infrastructure, as it ensures monitoring from a location with visibility to the other islands of the central group and was therefore of interest to maintain the location of the new radar.

In November 2017 the USAF transferred to IPMA the radar tower, access to energy systems and public telecommunications networks, and the Government of the Azores rented the land on which Terceira’s new meteorological radar will be installed for a symbolic price, which is scheduled to be completed in 2018.
 
According to the announcement of the Minister of the Sea in November 2017, IPMA will complete the construction of Santa Bárbara’s new meteorological radar and install a new meteorological radar in São Miguel, Pico da Barrosa, both in 2018.