Hurricane imaging radiometer wind speed and rain rate retrieval: Part-2. Analysis of retrieval accuracy

This paper describes the end-to-end simulation of the new HIRAD, which will provide improved hurricane surveillance. This paper (part-2 of 2) evaluates the HIRAD instrument performance in retrieving hurricane-force wind speeds in the presence of intense rain. Examples of retrieved hurricane wind speed and rain rate images are presented, and comparisons of the retrieved parameters with the MM5 numerical hurricane model data are made. Statistical results are presented over a broad range of wind and rain conditions over the full measurement swath.