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Live forecasts update automatically; written guidance last reviewed 23 June 2026 by the Aussie Brief Weather Desk. Data from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and other national met services via Open-Meteo.
Check the live radar above to see current rain and storm activity across Australia. It shows where precipitation is falling now and how hard, helping you plan your next hour or so outdoors.
How does the radar work?
The Bureau of Meteorology operates a network of Doppler radars that send out pulses of microwave energy. When those pulses hit rain, hail or snow, they bounce back to the antenna. The stronger the echo, the heavier the precipitation. The radar measures both the location and intensity of the echo and maps it in real time.
Each radar site has a range of about 200–250 kilometres, though coverage gaps exist in remote areas. The live radar above refreshes every 6–10 minutes, giving you a near-instant picture of approaching weather.
What do the colours mean?
Colours on the radar correspond to rainfall intensity. Light green shows drizzle or light rain (1–2 mm/hour). Yellow and orange indicate moderate rain (5–20 mm/hour). Red and purple mean heavy downpours (30+ mm/hour) and often come with thunderstorms. Grey or blue patches are usually noise or ground clutter, not rain.
Radar coverage includes major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and the Gold Coast. For localised views, you can check the BOM radar mosaics – the live radar above already covers most of these areas, including weather radar brisbane, weather radar sydney and weather radar melbourne.
Why does the radar show rain that isn’t hitting the ground?
Radar detects rain droplets aloft – above the height of your location. If the droplets evaporate before they reach the ground, you see a radar echo but no actual rain. This is called ‘virga’ and is common in hot, dry conditions.
How do I tell if a storm is heading my way?
Watch the radar loop (play the animation on the live radar above). Look for a cluster of yellow, orange or red moving steadily in one direction. If it’s coming toward your suburb, expect heavy rain within 10–30 minutes. Check our severe weather warning page for alerts.
What’s the difference between BOM radar and third-party radar apps?
BOM radar is the official source – directly from the government network. Many third-party apps overlay BOM data but may use different colour scales or interpolation. For most practical purposes, the live radar above uses the standard BOM colour palette. See our BOM weather Australia page for more details.
For a broader outlook, see our Australia weather hub or check Weather Forecast Australia for the coming week. Local radar specifics – weather radar brisbane bom, weather radar adelaide, weather radar gold coast, weather radar noosa – are all part of the same BOM network shown on the live radar above.