Perth rain radar: old BOM-style loop
Follow recent rain around Perth with a classic radar loop centred on the city. Switch view widths to compare the coastal suburbs with the Darling Range and the wider south-west. Perth 7-day forecast.
Distance rings are measured from your selected location. Transparent areas may be dry or outside coverage. Colours are not a calibrated rainfall measurement.
Using the Perth radar view
Perth’s rain falls mostly in the cooler months, often as cold fronts cross the coast from the Indian Ocean. The wider views show more of the ocean approach to the west and south-west, where those bands first appear.
Times on the loop are shown in Western Australian time. The rings measure distance from the Perth CBD, not from the Serpentine radar.
Compare successive frames to see how echoes have moved. Playback shows what has already happened. The Next 4 hours panel under the map carries that movement forward as an estimate, then hands over to the forecast model.
Radars covering Perth
Perth is covered by two Bureau radars. The closest is Perth Airport, 11 km away. The loops listed for each radar are the official ranges that include the city centre; a radar's 64 km loop only helps if you are within 64 km of the radar itself.
| Radar | Where it is | Official loops that include Perth | Site and what it sees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perth (Serpentine) (IDR70) | 49 km south of Perth | 64 km · 128 km · 256 km · 512 km | Serpentine Airfield (Yangedi Rd North, Hopelands) Meteor 1700SDP (S-band, Doppler and Dual Pol enabled) Good coverage in all directions. Distant fronts are seen high above the ground, so their intensity far from the radar can mislead, and weak false echoes can appear along the coast within about 60 km. |
| Perth Airport (IDR26) | 11 km east of Perth | 128 km · 256 km · 512 km | Perth Airport Wurrung-2502C (C-Band) A former wind-finding radar site at Perth Airport. Trees block the beam to the north, where rain may be underestimated or disappear, and the Darling Scarp reduces coverage to the east. |
Sites, types and siting notes paraphrased from the Bureau of Meteorology's radar information page; distances are from the Perth city centre.
Official BOM radar loops for Perth
The Bureau of Meteorology still publishes its classic radar loops on reg.bom.gov.au. These are the official station loops covering Perth, at each range the Bureau offers:
- Perth (Serpentine) (IDR70): 64 km · 128 km · 256 km · 512 km · Atmosphr page
- Perth Airport (IDR26): 128 km · 256 km · 512 km · Atmosphr page
See every Bureau radar loop by state.
Looking for the old BOM radar?
Atmosphr offers a classic-style alternative with automatic playback and simple controls. It is independent of the Bureau of Meteorology. The image is a historical composite supplied through RainViewer, not a direct station-specific BOM product.
More near Perth
Read the radar guide for help with timestamps, coverage and playback.