Neerslagdata

Neerslagdata refers to the measurements and records of precipitation over time and space. It encompasses rain, snow, hail en other forms of liquid or solid precipitation and is collected by national meteorological institutes, weather stations, radar systems, and satellite sensors. Neerslagdata is essential for weather forecasting, climate analysis, hydrology, and water resource management.

Data sources include ground-based gauges such as tipping-bucket and weighing rain gauges, which provide precipitation depth and sometimes intensity and duration. Automated weather stations collect multiple variables alongside rain data. Radar rainfall estimates offer areal coverage, while satellites provide global observations, including regions without dense gauge networks. Data can be reported as point measurements or merged into gridded fields for regional analysis.

Common variables are precipitation depth (measured in millimeters), rainfall intensity (mm per hour), duration, and precipitation type (rain, snow, sleet, hail). Temporal resolutions range from hourly and daily to monthly and annual aggregates. Spatial resolution varies from single gauges to gridded products with resolutions from about 1 km to several tens of kilometers.

Quality and processing involve quality control, homogenization, and bias correction. Corrections may address gauge undercatch, especially for snow, and calibration of radar or satellite estimates. Merging different data sources often improves accuracy but introduces uncertainties.

Applications of neerslagdata include flood risk assessment, hydrographic modeling, irrigation planning, urban drainage design, drought monitoring, and climate trend studies. Access is commonly provided as open data by national meteorological services and international programs, with licensing that typically permits free use with attribution. Limitations include coverage gaps, measurement biases, and uncertainties in radar or satellite-derived estimates, particularly in complex terrain.