Patent ID: 7158071

Claim:
A method of using a bipolar radar to estimate a precipitation rate for rain that generates negligible attenuation, the method comprising the following steps: using said bipolar radar to measure the differential phase Φ DP and the apparent reflectivity z e on at least one of horizontal polarization H and vertical polarization V over a given interval [r 0 , r 1 ] of path radii relative to said radar; making an estimate of the value N 0 * representative of the dimensional distribution of rain drops on the basis of the differential phase difference in the range r 0 to r 1 and on the basis of an integral of a function of the apparent reflectivity Z e along the interval [r 0 , r 1 ]; and deducing a value for the precipitation rate at a point from N 0 * and the apparent reflectivity at said point.