MEASUREMENT OF RAINFALL

Illustration of various types of rain-gauges.

Advantaged and disadvantages of various types of gauges.

 RAIN GAUGE

• A rain gauge (also known as an udometer or pluviometer) is an

instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to gather and
measure the amount of liquid precipitation (rainfall) over a set period of
time.
 TYPES OF RAIN-GAUGES
Following are the main types of rain-gauges used for measurement of
rainfall.

Non-automatic / Non-recording Rain-gauge

Symon’s Rain-gauge

Automatic / Recording Rain-gauge

Weighing Bucket Rain-gauge

Tipping Bucket Rain-gauge

Float type Rain-gauge

Pressure Transducer Rain-guage

 NON-AUTOMATIC (NON-RECORDING)
RAIN-GAUGE

 These are called non-recording rain gauges because they do not

record the rain but only collect the rain.

 The collected rain is then measured by means of graduated cylinders

so as to directly represent the rainfall volume in cm of water depth,
i.e.

Volume of water collected in cm 3

Depth of rain water in cm =
Area of aperatureof the guage in cm 2

Note: The amount of precipitation/rainfall is expressed as the

depth in cm or inches.
SYMON’S RAIN-GAUGE
• Most common type of non-automatic rain-gauge.

• Consists of cylindrical vessel 127 mm (5”) dia with a base

enlarged to 210 mm (8”) dia.

• The top section is a funnel provided with circular brass rim

exactly 127 mm (5”) internal dia.

• The funnel shank is inserted in the neck of receiving bottle which

is 75 to 100 mm (3 to 4”) dia.

• Capacity of bottle is 75 to 100 mm of rainfall.

• The rain-gauge is placed in concrete block 60cm×

60cm×60cm×
60cm×60cm
(2’×2’×2’).

• The rim should be 305 mm (12”) above the ground surface.

• Water contained in the bottle is measured by suitably graduated

measuring glass, with an accuracy up to 0.1 mm.

• During a heavy rainfall, the rain should be measured 3 or 4 times

in a day.
AUTOMATIC (RECORDING) RAIN-
GAUGE
• Gauges which can give permanent and automatic rainfall
record without any bottle reading.

• Man has not to go to the gauge to measure the amount of

rain fallen.

• There is mechanical arrangement by which the total amount

of rain fallen, since the record was started, gets recorded
automatically.

• The gauge thus produces a record of cumulative rain vs.

time in the form of graph known as Mass Curve of rain
fallen.
 MEASUREMENT OF RAINFALL BY AN
AUTOMATIC (RECORDING) RAIN-
GAUGE
• These are rain gauges which can give a permanent, automatic
rainfall record (without any bottle recording) in the form of a pen
mounted on a clock driven chart. From the chart intensity or rate of
rainfall in cm per hour or 6 hrs, 12 hrs….., besides the total amount of
rainfall can be obtained.

• Give all information of storm such as Duration of storm, Intensity and

the cumulative rainfall.
MEASUREMENT OF RAINFALL BY
AN AUTOMATIC (RECORDING)
RAIN-GAUGE
In general, automatic rain-gauge consists of rotating drum with
a graph paper fixed around it.

There is pen in contact with graph paper, which moves up

with the collected rain, and thus recording cumulative rain,
with the passage of time.

These are of four types

1. Weighing Bucket Rain-gauge

2. Tipping Bucket Rain-gauge
3. Float Type Rain-gauge
4. Pressure Transducer or Diaphragm guage
 1.WEIGHING BUCKET RAIN-
GAUGE
• Consists of a receiver
bucket supported by a
spring or lever balance or
any other weighing
mechanism.

• The movement of bucket

due to its increasing
weight is transmitted to a
pen which traces the
record on a clock driven
chart.
• It is the most common
type of recording gauge
 2.TIPPING BUCKET RAIN-GAUGE

Consists of 30 cm dia sharp edge receiver.

At the end of receiver funnel is provided.

Under the funnel a pair of buckets are

pivoted (the central point which balances) in
such away that when one bucket receives
0.25 mm (0.01”) of rainfall it tips (to fall or
turn over), discharging its contents into
reservoir bringing other bucket under
funnel.

Tipping of bucket completes an electric

circuit causing the movement of pen to
mark on clock driven revolving drum
which carries a record sheet.
 3.FLOAT (SYPHON) TYPE RAIN-
GAUGE
• Working is similar to weighing gauge bucket.

• Funnel receives the rain water which is

collected in rectangular container.

• Float is provided at the bottom of container.

• Float is raised as the water level rises in the

container.

• Movement of float is being recorded by a pen

moving on recording drum actuated by clock
work.

• When the water level in the container rises so

that float touches the top, the siphon comes
into operation, and release the water; thus all
the water in the box is drained out.
 4. PRESSURE TRANSDUCER
RAIN-GUAGE
It consists of a very sensitive membrane
called diaphragm.
•Movement of diaphragm initiates the signal
that sent to the data logger.
•Data logger provides continuous rainfall
record of a storm event.
•Transducer: a device that converts
variations in a physical quantity, such as
pressure or brightness, into an electrical
signal, or vice versa
 ADVANTAGES OF RECORDING
GAUGE OVER THE NON-
RECORDING GAUGE.
• In recording gauge rainfall is recorded automatically & therefore,
there is no necessity of any attendant.

• Recording rain-gauge gives the intensity of rainfall @ any time

while the non-recording gauge gives the total rainfall in any
particular interval of time.

• As no attendant is required such rain-gauge can be installed in

far–off places also.

• Possibility of human error is obviated.

 DISADVANTAGES OF RECORDING
GAUGE OVER THE NON-RECORDING
GAUGE.
• It is costly in comparison with non-recording gauge.

• Fault may be developed in electrical or mechanical mechanism or

recording the rainfall.
 OTHER METHODS OF
MEASURING RAINFALL
• 1. Radar measurement of precipitation

• 2. Satellite measurement of precipitation