Is there a way I can extract the sub hourly rainfall data for Australia. Basically I am looking to obtain the rainfall intensity data on 5min, 10m and 20 min and so on. I have looked at the Design rainfall data system(2016) which gives the probabilities.
Most research grade meteorology and hydrology sites, and some Universities, cities, reservoir weather sites use recording raingauges and stream flow stations. The older type recording gauges often used strip charts, that for simplicity may have been transferred and reported as daily values. Some may have archived their data for possible future analysis. Strip charts typically are difficult to read accurately and require some interpretation of times and values. Many of the new type recorders measure and record digitally, either by weight or tipping bucket. Again, though this detailed data at subdaily or subhourly rates are seldom reported, and one would have to search out the original records for this level of detail. If the researcher collected 15 minute data, it would be difficult to go to sub15 minute records without some correlation and interpretation such as with streamflow or well data, which would most likely not be reportable as research grade, or footnoted as estimates. Although you goal is rainfall, I mentioned local streamflow or well level data records which might be correlated back to rainfall record and intensity, but with likely difficulty. Some research stations may have also singled out individual storms of magnitude and evaluated records with intensity detail. One can imagine why the 288 five minute increments in a day (105,120 five minute periods in a year) are not reported, so most often it may be searching for, and selecting individual storm periods or associated floods of noted intensity for analysis and reporting. Most USGS sites collect and report data at 15 minute intervals. When we were conducting hydrologic data at the University of Missouri Forest on small catchments, we did use 5 minute intervals, but that is probably atypical. If by chance you find Excel file with 5 minute rainfall data, it is not too difficult to develop columns with 10, 15, 20, ... accumulations, which can later be searched if looking for rainfall intensity extremes.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Filing