Weather radar is used to understand the climatic condition of the atmosphere. This radar is widely used in meteorological and climatological applications. The weather radars help monitor larger weather systems such as systems used for monitoring hurricanes. The demand for such radars is thus high in the aviation industry, as they regulate aviation safety and planning out of weather-impacted activities.

Increasing adoption of radars to improve weather forecast is driving growth of the market

The rise in adoption of new radar by the weather forecaster for improving the weather prediction is one of the factors that help in increasing the demand of weather radar. The changes in the climatic conditions increase the risk of extreme weather condition such as droughts, flooding, and heat-waves. Weather radar systems are used in weather forecasting, hydrological applications, and flood warnings, as they provide qualitative and quantitative data about the atmosphere. Furthermore, these radars are widely used in climate research, which requires ground verification for global precipitation measurements by satellites. Data collected by these radars is then processed to identify the changes in the climate and environment. Rising prevalence of airplane-related injuries and deaths and increasing damage caused by extreme weather conditions is increasing the demand for weather radars. For instance, according to the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) analysis, 58,687 general aviation accidents caused due to foggy weather, were recorded from 1982 to 2013. Weather radars are also used across several sectors including agriculture, natural resources, fisheries, construction, aviation, tourism, transportation, and retail. For instance, weather-radar imagery is used to safely route planes around severe weather. Increasing demand for these radars for application in these sectors, in turn, is expected to propel growth of the weather radar market.

Lack of skilled workforce is the key challenge hampering growth of the market

Weather radar systems require highly skilled and experienced workforce to interpret accurate results and insights from the collected data. Moreover, high costs associated with conduct training programs for workforce is expected to limit the entry of new players in this market. This in turn, is expected to hamper growth of the weather radar market.

Among radar type, the airborne radar segment is expected to witness highest growth during the forecasted period

Increasing number of aircraft deliveries due to rising number of air passengers is one of the major factors increasing demand for weather radars. For instance, in 2016, the Airbus delivered 688 commercial aircraft. Weather radars enable pilots to make smarter and faster decisions under undesirable weather conditions. It also offer information about presence and intensity of convective clouds along the aircraft’s route, in turn, indicating change in route, thus reducing risks of airplane crashes.

Global Weather Radar Market: Regional Insights

The global weather radar market is segmented on the basis of region, into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. The market for North America is expected to account for the largest share in the global weather radar market. The U.S. is the major growth engine in the region due to high presence of key players, including EWR Weather radar, Honeywell, and Garmin international. Increasing number of government initiatives focused on minimizing loss of lives and damage of property is also boosting demand for weather radars. For instance, according to the Environment Defense Fund, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) worked towards the protection of homes and families affected by the California flood in 2017.

Global Weather Radar Market: Competitive Insights

Major players operating in the global weather radar market include Furuno Electric Co., Ltd, EWR Weather Radar, Honeywell International Inc, Selex ES Gmbh, Beijing Metstar Radar Corporation Ltd., Vaisala, Garmin International Ltd, Glarun Technology Co, Ltd., AERODATA, Inc, and Anhui Sun Create Electronics Co. Ltd.

Global Weather Radar Market: Taxonomy

By Radar Type

Airborne Radar

Ground Radar

By Application

Aviation

Military

Energy & Research Agency

Other(Broadcast Stations, Federal and State Emergency Management, and Educational Institution)

By Region