Niederschlagsdatensätze

Niederschlagsdaten are the quantitative records of precipitation amounts and related measurements collected by meteorological stations and other observing systems. They form time series detailing how much rain, snow, sleet or hail has fallen at a given location over defined intervals, typically expressed in millimeters of liquid-equivalent precipitation, with an accompanying timestamp and metadata such as station height and exposure.

Data collection and sources: The primary source is precipitation measurements from rain gauges, including manual gauges and automatic tipping-bucket or weighing gauges. Additional information comes from weather radar, satellite imagery, and weather stations that infer precipitation over larger areas. Observations can be arranged as hourly, daily, or longer accumulations; common products include daily totals and hourly precipitation intensities.

Quality control and processing: Niederschlagsdaten undergo quality assurance to detect errors and inconsistencies. Adjustments may address under-catch (wind-induced losses for gauges), instrument calibration, relocation, and homogenization to remove artificial jumps in long-term series. Data are accompanied by metadata describing methods, units, and uncertainties, and are often converted to standardized formats for integration.

Applications: These data underpin weather forecasting, hydrological modeling, flood and drought risk assessment, agriculture planning, and climate monitoring. They support trend analyses in climate studies and inform water resource management.

Access and standards: Internationally, the World Meteorological Organization provides guidelines for data collection, exchange, and quality control. National meteorological services maintain archives, and many datasets are accessible through open data portals or scientific repositories, sometimes with licensing restrictions.