Dependence of radar quantitative precipitation estimation error on the rain intensity in the Cévennes region, France

Radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) errors exhibit complex dependencies on rain intensity, space-time scales, and geographical sub-domains in the Cévennes region of France. The study found that while error bias varies significantly across these factors, the standard deviation of errors remains relatively homogeneous. Notably, the estimation standard deviation of reference rainfall matches that of radar-reference discrepancies, highlighting limitations in the accuracy of current raingauge networks for spatial scales ranging from 5 to 100 km². This insight underscores the need for improved reference data to enhance radar QPE reliability.

Delrieu, G., Bonnifait, L., Kirstetter, P.-E., & Boudevillain, B. (2014). Dependence of radar quantitative precipitation estimation error on the rain intensity in the Cévennes region, France. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59(7), 1308–1319. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2013.827337