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Precipitation Gauge Network

Engr. M. Irfan Qureshi

Precipitation Gauge Network

A proper precipitation network is required to

know the areal distribution of precipitation

Gauge Density (G.D)

It is the area covered per unit rain gauge.
. =

Higher value means that rain gauges are widely

spaced. (lesser number of rain gauges)
Lesser value means that rain gauges are closely
spaced. (more number of rain gauges)

WMO Recommended Gauge Densities

For flat regions= 600-900 Km2/station
For mountainous regions=100-250 Km2/station
For small mountainous islands=25 Km2/station
For Arid and Polar zones=1500-10000
Km2/station

Factors affecting Gauge Densities

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Topography
Hydrology
Stream Network
Population Density
Economy
Interest
Research

Interpretation of Precipitation data

Interpretation means following three things:
1. Estimation of missing precipitation data
2. Checking inconsistency in precipitation data
record (Hydrology Manual Design No.2)

3. Computing average precipitation over an area

(Hydrology Manual Design No.3)

1. Estimation of missing precipitation

data
Guidelines by US Environmental Data
Service
According to US Environmental Data Service, to estimate a missing
data on a Station X for day, month or year, find at least 3 stations
close to the Station X and more or less equally spaced around it.

1. Estimation of missing precipitation

data
The missing precipitation data can be computed
by taking the average of the three stations by the
following two methods:
i) Arithmetic Mean Method
ii) Normal Ratio Method

i) Arithmetic Mean Method

Normal Annual Precipitation:
It is the mean annual precipitation of a station on the basis of past 30
years data record.

=()
=

=Annual precipitation
We assume that after 30 years, a hydrological cycle repeats.
NAP of Station X is compared with NAP of index stations (A,B,C). If
NAP of Station X is within the 10% of that of Index Stations then
Arithmetic mean method is used for the estimation of missing
precipitation data (Day, Month, Year).
=

++

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ii) Normal Ration Method

When difference between NAP of Station X and any of Index station
exceeds 10%, normal ratio method is used. In this method the
amounts of the index stations are weighted by the ratios of the normal
annual precipitation values.
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= ( +
+
)
3

=
( +
+ )
3
=Missing precipitation at station X
=NAP at station X
= NAP at station A
= NAP at station B
= NAP at station C
PA, PB, PC =Precipitation amounts at Stations A,B and C

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NUMERICAL
Estimate the missing precipitation for the month
of July 2010, when measured precipitations on
the Index stations A, B and C are 82, 87 and 97
respectively. The NAP for Station X and Station
A,B,C are 800, 810, 900 and 920 respectively.

Answer=80.89mm