The device consists of an open-top truck equipped with a mobile radar, which will travel for four days to different locations in the Pyrenees where the three new radars are planned to be installed (La Peülla, Pic de l’Orri, and Tosa d’Alp). The tests will allow for the evaluation of optimal conditions for each location and verification that there are no interferences that could affect the operation of future equipment or existing infrastructure.
This new phase of the project was presented today, Wednesday, October 28, during an event at the Plaça de l’Ajuntament in Rialp, attended by various authorities, members of the camping sector, and professionals from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia.
The director of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Sarai Sarroca, explained that the action is carried out in coordination with the Centre de Telecomunicacions de la Generalitat de Catalunya (CTTI) and is part of the project to expand the radar network, aiming to improve meteorological information in the Pyrenees and enhance the monitoring of phenomena such as intense rainfall.
The Meteorological Service of Catalonia will install three new weather radars with an investment of 9 million euros. According to Ferran Fabró, a remote sensing technician at Meteocat, three sites have been selected for their good visibility, accessibility, and telecommunication availability, and these tests will validate whether they are the definitive locations.
The equipment will use X-band technology, which is more compact and suitable for mountain conditions. This new network, named PIRINEX, will improve the coverage of the current network in the Pyrenees by up to 95%.
