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rainband
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Diagram showing the anatomy of a tropical cyclone with a top view and a vertical cross section. The top view highlights the cyclone's spiral shape with a central eye and surrounding eyewall. The cross section illustrates the eye, eyewall, spiral rainbands, outflow cloud shields, and airflow patterns including spiraling winds, rotation, and descending air.
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rainband

meteorology
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Diagram showing the anatomy of a tropical cyclone with a top view and a vertical cross section. The top view highlights the cyclone's spiral shape with a central eye and surrounding eyewall. The cross section illustrates the eye, eyewall, spiral rainbands, outflow cloud shields, and airflow patterns including spiraling winds, rotation, and descending air.
tropical cyclone Infographic showing the anatomy of a tropical cyclone.

A rainband is a band of dark color in the yellow portion of the solar spectrum, caused by water vapor in the atmosphere, which can be used for weather predictions. In meteorology, rainbands are also secondary cloud cells arranged in spiral bands around the center of a tropical cyclone. These bands can be stationary or rotate around the storm's center, sometimes causing the storm track to wobble.12

Radar technology, initially developed for military purposes, proved effective in tracking rainbands within storms like hurricanes. This application allows meteorologists to study the structure and evolution of precipitation within storms, aiding in weather forecasting.3

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. rainband
  2. tropical cyclone - Rainbands
  3. weather forecasting - Application of radar

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