Assessing sampling and retrieval errors of GPROF precipitation estimates over the Netherlands

The Goddard Profiling algorithm (GPROF) converts radiometer observations from Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) constellation satellites into precipitation estimates. Typically, high-quality ground-based estimates serve as reference to evaluate GPROF's performance. To provide a fair comparison, the ground-based estimates are often...

Measuring rainfall using microwave links: the influence of temporal sampling

Terrestrial microwave links are increasingly being used to estimate path-averaged precipitation by determining the attenuation caused by rainfall along the link path, mostly with commercial microwave links from cellular telecommunication networks. However, the temporal resolution of these rainfall estimates and the method to derive them are...

Quantitative precipitation estimation from weather radars, personal weather stations and commercial microwave links

This chapter reviews the state-of-the-art of land surface rainfall estimation using measurements from weather radars, personal weather stations, and commercial microwave links, including comparisons to rain gauge measurements. These studies are related to recently emerging field of opportunistic weather sensing using the existing communications...

Rainfall retrieval algorithm for commercial microwave links: Stochastic calibration

During the last decade, rainfall monitoring using signal-level data from commercial microwave links (CMLs) in cellular communication networks has been proposed as a complementary way to estimate rainfall for large areas. Path-Averaged rainfall is retrieved between the transmitting and receiving cellular antennas of a CML. One rainfall...

Rainfall Spatiotemporal Correlation and Intermittency Structure from Micro-gamma to Meso-beta Scale in the Netherlands

e investigate the spatiotemporal structure of rainfall at spatial scales from 7 m to over 200 km in the Netherlands. We used data from two networks of laser disdrometers with complementary interstation distances in two Dutch cities (comprising five and six disdrometers, respectively) and a Dutch nationwide network of 31 automatic rain gauges....

Rainfall retrieval using commercial microwave links: Effect of sampling strategy on retrieval accuracy

This study presents the first evaluation of using commercial microwave link (CML) data for rainfall measurements in Australia, with the test site being the greater Melbourne Metropolitan area. More than 100 CMLs with microwave frequency ranging between 10 and 40 GHz have been used for the rainfall retrieval. The 15-minute received signal...

Tropical rainfall monitoring with commercial microwave links in Sri Lanka

Commercial microwave links (CMLs) from cellular telecommunication networks can provide a valuable 'opportunistic' source of high-resolution space-time rainfall information, complementing traditional in-situ measurement devices (rain gauges, disdrometers) and remote sensors (weather radars, satellites). Their greatest potential lies in areas...

Rainfall-induced attenuation correction for two operational dual-polarization c-band radars in the Netherlands

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) operates two operational dual-polarization C-band weather radars providing 2D radar rainfall products. Attenuation can result in severe underestimation of rainfall amounts, particularly in convective situations that are known to have high impact on society. To improve the radar-based...

Rain sense: Sensors and citizens preparing Amsterdam for future weather

Extreme rainfall is expected to occur more often in the future, as a result of climate change. To be able to react on this change, urban water managers need to accurately know vulnerable spots in the city, as well as the potential impact to society. Currently, detailed information about rainfall intensities in cities, and effects of intense...

Innovative, multi-disciplinary sensing of rainfall and flood response in urban environments (abstract)

Urban rainfall estimation employing commercial microwave links (poster)

In the Rain Sense kickstart project of the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS), sensors and citizens are preparing Amsterdam for future weather. Urban areas often lack rainfall information. Hence, new rainfall measurement techniques are important. E.g., the number of observations may be increased by employing microwave...