Advances in Science and Research | 2019
Statistical analysis of very high-resolution precipitation data and relation to atmospheric circulation in Central Germany
Abstract
Abstract. The cumulative occurrence of heavy precipitation and flood events\nduring recent years in various Central European locations emphasises the\nurgent need to improve extreme rainfall observations and forecasts.\nPrecipitation gauges based on a weighing system allow the recording of\nintense short-term precipitation events with a very high temporal resolution\n(down to 1\u2009min). In this study, observational data that were collected\nduring the period 2000 to 2016 for 126\xa0stations of two corresponding\nmeasuring networks in the Central German state of Hesse were investigated for\nthe first time to answer the following questions: (1)\xa0Are the recorded\nhigh-resolution precipitation data plausible and comparable between both\nnetworks?\xa0(2)\xa0Which atmospheric circulation patterns were specifically prone\nto produce short-term intense precipitation events? Although the two networks are equipped with the same measuring technology,\nsystematic differences concerning their maximum 1\u2009min precipitation amounts\noccur, which may be explained by different instrumental software settings. We\ncould minimise those discrepancies by accumulating the existing 1\u2009min data\nto 15\u2009min. Subsequently, the 15\u2009min daily maximum values and accumulated daily sums\nwere analysed regarding the impact of large-scale atmospheric circulation\npatterns, based on the well-known “Groswetterlagen” classification. We\nidentified a clear connection between atmospheric circulation and heavy\nprecipitation over Hesse, while indicating some differences between daily\n(24\u2009h) and sub-daily (15\u2009min) events. High daily precipitation sums often\nrelate to westerlies and central cyclones, while intense short-term events\nare frequently generated by warm-humid continental air from southern and\neastern Europe as well as trough conditions, where the trough s core is found\nwest of the study area. Our results underline the importance of expanding and\nenhancing high-resolution precipitation observations in Germany as well as\nother countries.