RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The National Weather Service (NWS) has announced that there will be a two-week-long radar outage at the Wakefield Forecast Office as major upgrades are made.

According to the NWS, the KAKQ WSR-88D radar currently operated at the Wakefield office will be taken down on May 31, 2023.

Over the following two weeks, technicians will refurbish and replace the radar’s pedestal. This process will require the heavy components to be removed by crane and replaced when the work is completed.

The upgrade will extend the radar’s lifespan for another 20 years or more, according to the NWS.

During the radar outage, adjacent radars — in places such as Sterling, Roanoke and Raleigh, N.C. — will be available.