Mean

Precipitation
Calculation
Over an Area
• In order to compute the average rainfall over a
basin or catchment area, the rainfall is
measured at several rain gauge stations
suitably located in the area.
• The number of rain gauge stations depend upon
the area and distribution of rainfall.
• If a basin or catchment area contains more than
one rain gauge station, the computation of
average rainfall may be done by the following
methods:
a. Arithmetic Mean Method
b. Thiessen Polygon Method
c. Isohyetal Method
ARITHMETIC MEAN METHOD

• If the rainfall is uniformly distributed, the simplest

method of estimating average rainfall is to compute the
arithmetic average of the recorded rainfall values at
various stations.
THIESSEN POLYGON METHOD

• Rainfall recorded at each station is given a weightage

based on the area closest to the station.
• This method is considered superior to the arithmetical
averaging method since some weightage is assigned to
each rain gauge station.
• Even rain gauge stations located outside the catchment
are used in computing mean precipitation
STEPS FOR THIESSEN POLYGON METHOD
Step 5: Compute the average rainfall using the formula.
ISOHYETAL METHOD
• A graphical technique which involves drawing estimated
lines of equal rainfall over an area based on point
measurements.
• Isohyet - line joining points of equal rainfall magnitude.
STEPS FOR ISOHYETAL METHOD
STEPS FOR ISOHYETAL METHOD
SAMPLE PROBLEM 1

Using Arithmetic Mean Method, find the average

rainfall over a catchment. The rain gauge data are
12.6, 18.8, 14.8, 10.4 and 16.2 mm.
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2

In a catchment area, approximated by a circle of

diameter 100 km, four rainfall stations are situated
inside the catchment and one station is outside in its
neighborhood. The coordinates of the center of the
catchment and of the five stations are given below. Also
given are the annual precipitation recorded by the five
stations in 1980. Determine the average annual
precipitation by the Thiessen method.
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
Center (100,100)
Distance are in km
Diameter 100 km

Station 1 2 3 4 5
Coordinates (30, 80) (70, 100) (100, 140) (130, 100) (100, 70)
Precipitation 85.0 135.2 95.3 146.4 102.2
(cm)
SAMPLE PROBLEM 2
Station Boundary Area Fraction of Rainfall Weighted
of Area (km2) Total Area (cm) Precipitation
(cm)
1 - - - 85.0 -
2 abcd 2141 135.2
3 dce 1609 95.3
4 ecbf 2141 146.4
5 fba 1963 102.2
Total
SAMPLE PROBLEM 3
The isohyets due to a storm in a catchment together
with the area of the catchment bounded by the isohyets
are given below. Estimate the mean precipitation due to
the storm using Isohyetal method..
Isohyets (cm) Area (km2) Average value of P Fraction of Total Area Weighted P (cm)
(cm)

16-15 90

15-14 100

14-13 110

13-12 30

TOTAL
SAMPLE PROBLEM 4
The isohyets due to a storm in a catchment together
with the area of the catchment bounded by the isohyets
are given below. Estimate the mean precipitation due to
the storm using Isohyetal method..
Isohyets (cm) Area (km2) Average Fraction of Weighted P
value of P Total Area (cm)
(cm)

>10 20

10-9 75

9-8 100

8-7 50

7-6 40

<6 10

TOTAL
 END OF
PRESENTATION.