Precipitation measurement and

presentation of rainfall data

By:
Brijesh K Yadav
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Delhi

Measurement of precipitation
For hydrological analysis it is important to know how much
precipitation has fallen and when this occurred.
The precipitation is expressed as a vertical depth of liquid
water, rather than by volume
The rainfall amount is the depth of water that would
accumulate on the surface if all the rain remained where it
had fallen
The snowfall measurement usefully described in water
equivalent depth (the depth of water that would be present if
the snow melted)
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Instrument for measurement

The instrument for measuring rainfall is called a rain gauge
also known as pluviometer, ombrometer, and hyetometer.
Non-recording Raingauge
Symons type
Recording Raingauge
Tipping bucket type
Weighing-bucket type
Natural-syphon type
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Symons type Raingauge

Measured everyday at 8:30 AM

Capacity of holding vessel is 10 cm

When snow is expected, the funnel

and bottle are removed.

Snow is directly allowed to collect in

the outer metal container

Snow is melted and the depth of

resulting water is measured

Drawback: In case of heavy rainfall,

frequent measurement are needed
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Modified Symons type Raingauge

IMD has improved the Symons

gauge .

The new gauge come in

different combination collector
and receiving bottle

Standard non recording raingauge of IMD

Recording Raingauges

Produce continuous plot of rainfall against time

So provide intensity and duration of rainfall for

hydrological analysis

Mostly used by US weather bureau

The commonly used guases are: Tipping bucket,

Weighing-bucket, and natural syphon type

Tipping bucket gauge

When 0.25 mm rain collects in one bucket, it
tips and brings other one in position

Tipping actuates an electricity driven pen to

trace a record

Weighing Bucket type rain gauge

Float-type/Natural-Syphon type rain gauge

Adopted as the standard

recording-type raingauge
in India

RAIN-GAUGE DENSITY

The number of rain-gauges to be erected in a given area

or what is termed as rain-gauge density

Area

Rain-gauge density

Plains

1 in 520 km2

Elevated regions

1 in 260-390 km2

Hilly and very heavy

10% rainfall regions
with

1 in 130 Km2 preferably with

rain-gauge stations equipped
the self recording type

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Rainfall presentation

Point Rainfall
Normal rainfall
Curves for presenting of rainfall data
Mass curve
Hyetograph

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Point rainfall:
Station rainfall or rainfall data of station.
Data is listed daily, weekly, monthly
seasonal or annual values for various
periods.
Rainfall over an catchments area is
simulated by point rainfall data using
Arithmetical mean
Thiessen polygon method
Isohytal method
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Normal rainfall
Normal Rainfall: Average rainfall value at
a particular date, month or year over a
specified period of 30 year.
Normal annual precipitation: average
annual precipitation based on a specified
30 years of record.

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Mass curve
Mass curve of rainfall is a plot of the
accumulated precipitation against time
plotted in chronological order.
Direct observation
Duration
Magnitude
Onset and cessation of any storm

Indirect observation
Intensity at various times
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12/08/2011

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Hyetograph
Plot of Intensity (cm/h or mm/h ) of rainfall
against the time interval. It is derived from
mass curve and drawn as bar graph
Area under the hyetograph give the total
precipitation
Uses
To predict extreme flood
Infiltration Indices
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Hyetograph

Intensity in mm per hour

250

200

150

100

50

0
0

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10

20

30
40
50
Time in minutes

60

70

80

90

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Hyetograph from mass curve

On mass curve any two points can be
marked and depth of rainfall between
these two points and time is noted
Depth/time = intensity

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Calculation for hyetograph

Time

Rainfall in
mm

10
20
30
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Increment
Intensity in
rainfall in mm mm/hour

19

114

22

132

42

19
41
48
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Calculation for hyetograph

Time

40

50

60

70
80
90
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Rainfall in mm

Increment rainfall
in mm

Intensity in
mm/hour

20

120

23

138

33

198

28

168

48

36

68

91

124

152
160
166
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http://www.sendspace.com/file/4bt9e4
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vlmyr5
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ihdq88

Thank you

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Estimation of Missing Data:

Let there be station x whose annual rainfall is not
available for particular year
Let P1, P2, P3 ----------------------- Pm are the annual
precipitation at neighboring m stations (1,2------m)
Px is annual precipitation at station x
Normal annual precipitation at stations (1,2,3 --------m
and x) are N1, N2 , N3------Nm and Nx respectively
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Estimation of Missing Data

Ni (for i = 1,2------m) lies with in ( 10% of Nx + Nx)---(1)

If equation (1) is satisfied

Then simple arithmetic mean is used
Px = 1/m [ P1 + P2 +P3 -------- Pm]

If equation (1) is not satisfied

Then Normal ratio method is used
Px = 1/ m [P1 Nx/N1 + P2 Nx/N2 -------- PmNx/Nm]
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Test for Consistency of Record:

Unreported shifting of rain gauge as much as 8
km aerially or 30m in elevation
Significant construction work the area might
have changed the surroundings
Change in observational procedure incorporated
from certain period
A heavy forest fire earthquake or land slide

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Double mass curve problem

Test the consistency of data of the 19
years of the annual precipitation measured
at for the station x. rainfall data for the
station x as well as the average annual
rainfall measured at a group of eight
stations located in the meteorological
homogenous region are given below.

In what year change in

regime is indicated?
Adjust the record data at
station x and determine its
mean annual precipitation.

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Year
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970

Continuity, Consistency and

Presentation of rainfall data

Annual rainfall at 8- station average

station X
30.5
22.8
38.9
35
43.7
30.2
32.2
27.4
27.4
25.2
32
28.2
49.3
36.1
28.4
18.4
24.6
25.1
21.8
23.6
28.2
33.3
17.3
23.4
22.3
36
28.4
31.2
24.1
23.1
26.9
23.4
20.6
23.1
29.5
33.2
28.4
26.4

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Year

Annual rainfall at
station x in cm

annual at x
cumulative in cm

8- station average
in cm

cumulative 8-year
in cm

corrected values
.69 x column (2)
from year 1959
in cm

1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
1955
1954
1953
1952

28.4
29.5
20.6
26.9
24.1
28.4
22.3
17.3
28.2
21.8
24.6
28.4
49.3
32
27.4
32.2
43.7
38.9
30.5

28.4

26.4
33.2
23.1
23.4
23.1
31.2
36
23.4
33.3
23.6
25.1
18.4
36.1
28.2
25.2
27.4
30.2
35
22.8

26.4

28.4

59.6

29.5

82.7
106.1

20.6
26.9

129.2

24.1

160.4

28.4

196.4

22.3

219.8

17.3

253.1

28.2

276.7
301.8

21.8
24.6

320.2

19.8

356.3

34.4

384.5

22.3

409.7

19.1

437.1

22.5

467.3
502.3

30.5
27.2

525.1

21.3

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57.9
78.5
105.4
129.5
157.9
180.2
197.5
225.7
247.5
272.1
300.5
349.8
381.8
409.2
441.4
485.1
524
554.5

Continuity, Consistency and

Presentation of rainfall data

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Continuity, Consistency and

Presentation of rainfall data

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Estimation of Missing Data:

N1

Nx

N2

P1

Px

P4

P2
N4

P3
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N3
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