Some Tropical Rainfall Rate Characteristics at Ile-Ife for Microwave and Millimeter Wave Applications

Abstract

Some characteristics of rainfall rate relevant to the evaluation of microwave attenuation due to tropical rainfall are presented, making use of rain rate data collected with a rapid response raingage at Ile-Ife between September 1979 and December 1981. The effect of integration time on the cumulative distribution has been compared with results obtained in other parts of the world. The conversion factors Ce and CT obtained at Ile-Ife are generally lower than the values obtained for various locations in Europe. The number of occasions N(R) when a specified rainfall rate was continuously exceeded for durations of ?t seconds was found to obey the relationship N(R) = α(?t)?, where α and ? are functions of rainfall rate. At high rain rates, the majority of the return periods have been found to be due to rain rate variations within single cells and small mesoscale systems.