Precipitation and lightning measurements by polarization diversity radar

Observations of severe convective storms in June 1987 by an 11-cm polarization diversity Doppler radar are described. Specific features include heavy rain, large hail, melting ice particles, lightning, and signal propagation effects. Of particular interest are the first measurements of the polarization differential reflectivity of lightning channels, which reveal the predominant orientations of the channels. Successive radar pulses were transmitted with alternating horizontal and vertical polarization by means of a high-power microwave switch to permit derivation of the differential reflectivity with a small standard error of estimate.