As the hurricane season nears an end, the Cayman Islands National Weather Service is taking the chance to carry out critical upgrades to the Kearney Gomez Doppler radar in East End.
The radar, a key part of the National Weather Service’s data-collecting infrastructure, is being temporarily taken offline between 14 Nov. and 31 Dec. so that the work can be carried out, including the replacement of aging components.
The Doppler radar was funded through a grant provided by the European Union in 2012 and first became operational in 2013. The data it collects provides real-time insights into local and regional weather patterns, allowing meteorologists to track the structure and development of storms and hurricanes and can detect moisture and water droplets up to 250 miles away from the Cayman Islands and the surrounding seas.
It has an original lifespan of 15 years and was most recently repaired at the end of 2024 after suffering several breakdowns over the past couple of years. In one of the most recent instances, the radar was out of action for a few months at the end of 2023 due to the challenge of securing the needed parts for repairs.
In October 2021, the radar was damaged in Tropical Storm Grace and was out of service for nine months before being restored in July 2022. It was also inoperable from March to May in 2023 due to a hardware failure.
Forecasts continue
The National Weather Service said that once the upgrades are completed, the system’s operational life span should increase by over 10 years.
While the Doppler is out of action, the weather service says it will continue to provide weather forecasts for the Cayman Islands and surrounding region using satellite, model and global radar data from partner meteorological agencies.
“With the arrival of cooler temperatures and the onset of cold fronts, current forecasts indicate that the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has effectively concluded. The timing of this upgrade therefore ensures minimal disruption to weather monitoring,” said the weather service’s director general, John Tibbetts.
“While the radar will be temporarily unavailable during these works,” he added, “the Cayman Islands will still remain covered through alternative observation and forecasting tools. This project is a major step forward in ensuring the reliability and accuracy of our radar system for years to come.”
The upgrade is being led by global radar manufacturer, Leonardo Germany, and will incorporate the latest technological advancements to improve detection capabilities, data accuracy and system efficiency. Once completed, the radar will deliver enhanced real-time coverage during all weather events.
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