System and method for detecting and displaying wind shear

A system for detecting wind shear, said system comprising:

• a) a radar system including an antennae having a circumferential coverage area, said antennae positioned in a geographic coverage area to detect radial wind velocities within that coverage area;
• b) a database including geographic data corresponding to and representative of the geographic coverage area;
• and
• c) a central processing unit communicating with said radar system to receive information therefrom corresponding to the radial wind velocities, said central processing unit instructed to divide the circumferential coverage area into a plurality of adjacent gate sweeps and to compare radial wind velocities detected in one of said plurality of gate sweeps with radial wind velocities detected in an adjacent gate sweep at locations substantially radially equidistant from said radar system to determine the location of gate to gate wind shear.

A method of detecting atmospheric conditions indicative of tornadoes, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) receiving reflected signals from a radar, said reflected signals including radial wind velocity data for a plurality of adjacent radar gate sweeps;
• b) comparing the received radial wind velocity data of first and second adjacent gate sweeps at points of common radial distance from said radar to identify at least one location where there exists a difference in velocities;
• and
• c) associating a shear marker with said at least one location to indicate conditions indicative of a tornado.