Preliminary investigation of rain cells in equatorial Malaysia for propagation applications

This work investigates the physical structure and geometrical features of rain cells based on two years of meteorological observations collected by a radar located at Kluang, Johor, Malaysia. Raw radar data are duly processed and rain cells are identified to carry out a detailed investigation on some features of the rain cells such as the mean rain rate, the equivalent minor and major axis length and the orientation. Preliminary results indicate that the majority of the rain cells are characterized by an equivalent diameter lying between 1 to 6 km (threshold 5 mm/h), with the mean minor and major axis lengths being approximately equal to 0.9 and 1.5 km, respectively. Furthermore, the rain cells orientation distribution is almost uniform, which is in accordance with the results obtained from the data collected in temperate regions. Further work is necessary to provide radio engineers with useful information for the design of wireless communication system in this particular area (heavy rain region).