Measurement of Rainfall

• Rainfall and other forms of precipitation are measured in

terms of depth, the values being expressed in millimeters.
• One millimeter of precipitation represents the quantity of
water needed to cover the land with a 1mm layer of water,
taking into account that nothing is lost through drainage,
evaporation or absorption.
• Instrument used to collect and measure the precipitation is
called rain gauge.
Symon’s rain gauge
 2. Recording gauge / graphic raingauge
• The instrument records the graphical
variation of the fallen precipitation, the total
fallen quantity in a certain time interval and
the intensity of the rainfall (mm/hour).
Types
 Tipping bucket type raigauge
 Weighting type rain gauge type
 Float type rain gauge
 Tipping bucket type
• This consists of a cylindrical receiver 30 cm diameter
with a funnel inside. Just below the funnel a pair of
tipping buckets is pivoted such that when one of the
bucket receives a rainfall of 0.25 mm it tips and empties
into a tank below, while the other bucket takes its
position and the process is repeated.
 Tipping bucket
• The tipping of the bucket actuates on electric circuit
which causes a pen to move on a chart wrapped
round a drum which revolves by a clock
mechanism. This type cannot record snow
 Weighting type rain gauge type
• In this type of rain-gauge, when a certain weight of
rainfall is collected in a tank, which rests on a spring-
lever balance, it makes a pen to move on a chart
wrapped round a clock driven drum The rotation of
the drum sets the time scale while the vertical motion
of the pen records the cumulative precipitation.
 Float type rain gauge
• In this type, as the rain is collected in a float chamber,
the float moves up which makes a pen to move on a
chart wrapped round a clock driven drum When the
float chamber fills up, the water siphons out
automatically through a siphon tube kept in an
interconnected siphon chamber. The clockwork
revolves the drum once in 24 hours.
• The clock mechanism needs rewinding once in a
week when the chart wrapped round the drum is also
replaced. This type of gauge is used by IMD.
Float type rain gauge
 4. Radar measurement of rainfall

• The meteorological radar is the powerful instrument

for measuring the area extent, location and
movement of rainstorm.
• The amount of rainfall overlarge area can be
determined through the radar with a good degree of
accuracy
• The radar emits a regular succession of pulse of
electromagnetic radiation in a narrow beam so that
when the raindrops intercept a radar beam, its
intensity can easily be known.
Raingauge Network
• Since the catching area of the raingauge is
very small as compared to the areal extent
of the storm, to get representative picture of
a storm over a catchment the number of
raingauges should be as large as possible,
i.e. the catchment area per gauge should
be small.
• There are several factors to be considered
to restrict the number of gauge:
– Like economic considerations to a large extent
– Topographic & accessibility to some extent.
 Raingauge Network…..
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
recommendation:
– In flat regions of temperate, Mediterranean and tropical
zones
• Ideal  1 station for 600 – 900 km2
• Acceptable 1 station for 900 – 3000 km2
– In mountainous regions of temperate , Mediterranean and
tropical zones
• Ideal  1 station for 100 – 250 km2
• Acceptable  1 station for 250 – 1000 km2
– In arid and polar zone
• 1 station for 1500 – 10,000 km2
• 10 % of the raingauges should be self recording to
know the intensity of the rainfall
 2.4 Preparation of Data
• Before using rainfall data, it is necessary to check
the data for continuing and consistency
– Missing data
– Record errors

Estimation of Missing Data

• Given annual precipitation values – P1, P2, P3,… Pm at
neighboring M stations of station X 1, 2, 3 & m respectively
• The normal annual precipitation given by N1, N2, N3,…, Nm,
Ni… (including station X)
• To find the missing precipitation, Px , of station X
Nx  P1 P2 Pm 
Px     ...  
M  N1 N 2 Nm 
 Test for consistency record
(Double mass curve techniques)
• Let a group of 5 to 10 base stations in the neighbourhood of the
problem station X is selected
• Arrange the data of X stn rainfall and the average of the
neighbouring stations in reverse chronological order (from recent to
old record)
• Accumulate the precipitation of station X
 and
Px 
the average
values of the group base stations starting from the latest
record.   Pavg 
• Plot the against as shown on the next figure
• A decided break  ofPavgthe
 Px  in the slope  resulting plot is observed that
indicates a change in precipitation regime of station X, i.e
inconsistency.
• Therefore, is should be corrected by the factor shown on the next
slide
 Double Mass Curve Analysis Test for consistency record….

5
accumulated annual rainfall of X stn in 10^3 cm

4.5

3.5
Mc c
3
c
a

2.5 Ma a
2

1.5

0.5

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Accumulated annual rainfall of neigbouring stns in 10^3 cm

Pcx – corrected precipitation at any time period t 1 at stationX

Mc
Pcx  Px Px – Original recorded precp. at time period t 1 at station X
Ma Mc – corrected slope of the double mass curve
Ma – original slope of the mass curve
Mass curve of Rainfall
The mass curve of rainfall is a plot of the
accumulated precipitation against time, plotted in
chronological order.

Hyetograph
This is a plot of the intensity of rainfall against the
time interval.