Vaisala has launched PRECICAP® Radar Precipitation Sensor RM60, the first precipitation sensor built to solve the problems of conventional precipitation gauges at network scale.
Where conventional gauges collect and count rainfall mechanically, RM60 uses patented radar technology to measure each falling raindrop, snowflake, and hailstone individually as it passes through the air. Because RM60 does not rely on catchment, it is not subject to the physical losses that affect conventional gauges. That means more detailed data: not just how much rain fell, but how hard it was raining, what type of precipitation it was, and the size distribution of the drops..
Flood warnings depend on accurate precipitation data. So do reservoir operations, hydrological models, and the climate records used to assess how rainfall patterns are shifting. Getting that data right depends on sensors that work reliably, in the worst conditions and the most difficult locations, precisely when it matters most.
The data they produce runs consistently low, because the mechanical collection process loses precipitation to wind, evaporation, and freezing. That bias runs through every network and every model built on it. Correction factors help, but they are inconsistent across networks and cannot fully compensate.
In many of the locations most vulnerable to flash floods and debris flows, such as remote mountain slopes and exposed catchments, there are no gauges at all. Conventional gauges require regular on-site maintenance, which makes remote and exposed sites too costly to equip. When intense rainfall hits an unmonitored slope, there is no data to trigger a warning.
“For over a century, precipitation gauges have measured too low. Not because of how networks were designed or operated. Because of a physical limitation built into the technology itself, one that the entire field had learned to work around. Our engineers thought differently, and proved it with RM60,” said Anne Jalkala, EVP, Weather, Energy, and Environment at Vaisala.
RM60 delivers better ground truth for weather radar networks, and richer inputs for forecast models and hydrological simulations. The result is more complete, more trustworthy data for the forecasters, hydrologists, and infrastructure operators who depend on it, and ultimately for the communities whose safety depends on their work.
RM60 has been field-deployed since 2020, with dozens of units operating across a range of climates and environments. More than 700,000 hours of field data cover conditions from subarctic winters to tropical rainfall and high-wind Atlantic conditions.
Over its lifecycle, RM60’s cost of ownership is substantially lower than a conventional tipping-bucket station, due to the elimination of maintenance visits, infrastructure requirements, and consumables. A tipping-bucket gauge typically requires at least four maintenance visits per year. RM60 requires none. It can run on a compact solar panel and battery and mounts on a standard mast, making it practical across the full network, including sites that have historically been too costly or difficult to equip. RM60 requires no cleaning, no calibration, and no field visits throughout its service life, and its design eliminates the wind errors that affect conventional gauges without any additional infrastructure
More info: www.vaisala.com/rm60
