WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Local NEXRAD radars controlled rainfall in the Queensland floods.
OUR VERDICT
False. There are no NEXRAD radars in Australia, and radars can't control weather.
AAP FACTCHECK - NEXRAD weather radars did not contribute to the heavy rainfall and flooding in North Queensland, despite claims on social media.
Australia does not have NEXRAD weather radars. Regardless, experts say radar systems are incapable of weather manipulation.
Flooding in early February devastated parts of North Queensland after days of relentless rain, claiming two lives and forcing hundreds to evacuate.
A widely shared Facebook post claims that NEXRAD radars in the region manipulated weather patterns and sparked the flooding event.
The post includes screenshots of radar images showing rain impacting the Townsville area on January 31.
The caption states: "The local nexrad radars have pinned the moisture and is preventing the flow from the ocean to freely move inland and thus will drop its rain in this area..gee thanks geoengineers".
NEXRAD, short for Next Generation Radar, is a network of weather radars operated by the US National Weather Service (NWS).
There are no NEXRAD installations in Australia. Regardless, experts told AAP FactCheck weather radars do not have the ability to engineer weather.
Professor Todd Lane, a meteorologist at the University of Melbourne, told AAP FactCheck the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) operates Australia's weather radars, which are different to those in the NEXRAD network.
"The Townsville and Mackay radars were made in Germany, whereas the NEXRAD radars are sourced from a USA manufacturer," Prof Lane said.
"It is fundamentally incorrect to refer to the Townsville or Mackay radars as NEXRAD."
Monash University weather modification expert Professor Steven Siems said that the NEXRAD system "is not remotely comparable" to the radars used in Australia by the BoM.
Both professors emphasised that weather radars, including the BoM-operated systems in Australia, do not have any influence over rainfall or weather patterns.
"It's like saying a thermometer causes heat waves," Prof Siems said.
"Weather radars have no impact on clouds, precipitation, or weather patterns."
Prof Lane agreed, adding: "There is no scientific evidence or physical reasoning that would support this argument. Geoengineering using standard weather radars is not possible."
Similar false claims about NEXRAD towers have circulated in the US, as previously covered by AAP FactCheck.
Prof Lane explained that the meteorological conditions behind the North Queensland floods were the result of a natural weather process.
"The significant rainfall is related to persistent onshore wind flow and a low-pressure trough in the region," he said.
"These features brought significant moisture from the Tasman and Coral seas to Queensland."
Prof Siems said the flooding had caused "genuine damage and hardship" and that "misinformation like this only serves to divide us in challenging times".
He added: "No form of geoengineering is capable of creating a flood like this."
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