The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and a coalition of Bay Area water, wastewater and flood control agencies have announced a new weather radar network designed to improve storm forecasting, flood prep and drought planning in the Bay Area. The network, named the San Francisco Bay Area AQPI Network, provides rainfall updates every 1 to 2 minutes. The funding for the project was provided by a nearly $20 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources and was an eight-year effort. Martin Ralph, Ph.D., of UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said the new system could help shape the next generation of radar technology for the entire country.