KONRAD3D - Operational Thunderstorm Detection, Analysis, Tracking and Nowcasting at Deutscher Wetterdienst

KONRAD3D (Konvektionsentwicklung in Radarprodukten 3D) is an advanced meteorological software product developed by the German Meteorological Service (DWD). It is primarily designed for the automatic detection, tracking, and short-term forecasting ("nowcasting") of severe weather, specifically thunderstorms and convective cells. It has been operationally used by DWD's weather forecasters since 2023. Key Features: 3D Analysis: Unlike its predecessor (which used 2D ground-level data), KONRAD3D utilizes full three-dimensional radar scans from different elevation angles. This allows it to analyze the vertical structure of a storm, helping to identify severe hazards and to provide warning flags for gusts, hail, and heavy rain. Storm Tracking: The system identifies storm cells, calculates their direction and speed, and predicts their path for the next hours. Multi sensor apporach: The cell detection is based on 3D radar scans and lightning data. Hail information is provided by DWD's hydrometeor classification algorithm HYMEC. Rainfall information is provided by DWD's QPE products. Mesocyclone information is obtained from DWD's mesocyclone detection algorithm. Environmental data are obtained from the ICON-EU model. SINFONY Project: It is a core component of the DWD's SINFONY project, which aims to seamlessly integrate radar observation with numerical weather prediction to improve early warning systems for severe weather events in Germany. Data: The dataset spans from 03/2018 to 06/2025 and is provided in compressed monthly archives of 5-minute XML files. The data derives from a reprocessing of DWD's entire radar processing chain, starting with the quality control of the radar measurements, using the currently operational versions of all contributing algorithms. Some short periods could not be adequately reprocessed due to corrupt radar data. KONRAD3D data from the following periods should not be used for further studies: 20190705_0745 to 20190705_0825 20230206_0730 to 20230206_0750 20230323_0825 to 20230323_0915 20230504_0705 to 20230504_0715 Documentation: KONRAD3D Overview KONRAD3D XML format description Overview of DWD's radar products (Reflectivity / QPE / HYMEC / Mesocyclone Detection / KONRAD3D)