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Hydrometeors (rain, fog and ice crystals) affect the transmission of electromagnetic signals. Previous research showed that alterations in the signal (amplitude and phase) are affected by the composition of the atmosphere, e.g. the presence of hydrometeors. The majority of hydrometeorological detecting methods are based on the attenuation of electromagnetic signals as they penetrate the atmosphere. Novel methods based on monitoring of parameters of the signal appeared in recent time. This article presents the first results from our investigation of how hydrometeors affect the phase differences in signals transmitted by BTS stations. Cell phone operators transmit electromagnetic signals in the 1 GHz frequency band. This paper describes a novel concept of how phase differences between two signals arriving at two different antennas can be used to detect hydrometeors. Although the described concept is assumed to be independent from the signal strength, the analysed signal must be detectable. The primary advantage of the proposed passive method is that the signal is almost ubiquitous and does not require demodulation. In densely populated areas, the network of BTS stations reaches a spatial density of 1 station per 1 km2 which gives excellent opportunity to use the signal for detection purposes.

The article deals with a method of acquiring the temporal and spatial distribution of local precipitation from measurement of performance characteristics of local sources of high frequency electromagnetic radiation in the 1–3GHz frequency range in the lower layers of the troposphere up to 100 m. The method was experimentally proven by monitoring the GSM G2 base stations of cell phone providers in the frequency range of 920–960MHz using methods of frequential and spatial diversity reception. Modification of the SART method for localization of precipitation was also proposed. The achieved results allow us to obtain the timeframe of the intensity of local precipitation in the observed area with a temporal resolution of 10 sec. A spatial accuracy of 100m in localization of precipitation is expected, after a network of receivers is built. The acquired data can be used as one of the inputs for meteorological forecasting models, in agriculture, hydrology as a supplementary method to ombrograph stations and measurements for the weather radar network, in transportation as part of a warning system and in many other areas.

A brief overview of building the radar and satellite meteorology in Slovakia over the period 1965–1990 and application of dispatching locators of PAR, SRE and RSR types for studying the evolution of convective cells is given. Further, the conception and implementation of a meteorological radar network in Slovakia, the algorithms for recognition of clouds and phenomena related to the parameters of radioecho are reviewed. The development of a new laser radar (LIDAR) and the application of a prototype meteorological radar with the TESLA RM-3 controlled polarizer are described.