INTERPRETATION OF

RAINFALL DATA
 Presentation of rainfall data

 Missing Rainfall data

 Average Rainfall over an area

 There are three methods of presentation of rainfall data which
have been found to be useful in interpretation and analysis of
hydrological studies are given as follows;

1. Hyetograph method

2. Mass curve of rainfall method

3. Point rainfall method

A hyetograph is bar graph.
 It represents a plot of the
intensity of rainfall against the
time interval.

 It can be prepared either from

the mass curve of rainfall, or
directly from the data obtained
from raingauges.
 It is very easy to represent the
characteristics of a storm and it
is useful in the development of
design storms to predict
extreme floods.

 The area under a hyetograph

represents the total rainfall
received in that period.
 The mass curve of rainfall is a
plot of the cumulative depth of
rainfall against time, plotted in
chronological order.

 The steepness of the curve

indicates the intensity of rainfall.

 The horizontal line of the curve

indicates that there is no rainfall
during that period.
 Mass curve is directly plotted in
float type and weighing bucket
type raingauge.

 From the mass curve, the total

depth of rainfall and intensity of
rainfall at any instant of time can
be found.
 It is also known as station rainfall.

 The rainfall data of a particular station is known as

point rainfall.

 This rainfall data can be presented as daily, weekly, monthly,

seasonal or annual values for various periods.

 It is graphicallypresented as plots of magnitude vs

chronological time in the form of bar diagram.
 Sometimes, it may not be possible to measure the rainfall at a
particular measuring station due to absence of the observer or
instrument failure.
 So, to predict the missing data with the help of available data
of nearby measuring station, using following methods;

1. Arithmetic mean method

2. Normal ratio method
3. Inverse distance method
 If rainfall data of station X is missing then to find out the
missing rainfall data Px;

PA + PB + PC + PD + PE
Px = n

PA, PB, PC, PD, PE = Rainfall data available at nearby station in cm

A, B, C, D, E, X = Rain gauge Station
n = Number of rain gauge st. where
data is available
 Rainfall data of at least three rain gauge is required.

 Px should be within 10% of the normal annual rainfall of the

index stations.

 Rain gauge stations should be evenly distributed around the

missing station & as close as possible.
 This method is used, when the average annual rainfall at any of
the index stations are more than 10% of the average annual
rainfall of the station X.

1 𝑁x 𝑁x𝑁x 𝑁x
 P𝑥 = P1 N1 +P2 +P3 N3 +……. Pn Nn
� 𝑁2
�
𝑁𝑥 𝑃2 𝑃3 𝑃n
 P𝑥 = 𝑃1 + + +……. Nn
� 𝑁1 𝑁2 𝑁3
�
Where , N1,N2,N3 ,….Nn = Avg. annual rainfall of index stations
Nx = Avg. annual rainfall of missing station
n = Number of index station
 A precipitation station X was inoperative for some time during
which a storm occurred. The storm totals at three stations A, B,
and C surrounding X, were respectively 6.6, 4.8, and 3.7 cm.
The normal annual rainfall amounts at stations X,A,B and C are
respectively 65.6, 72.6, 51.8 and 38.2 cm. Estimate the storm
precipitation for station X.
 The normal annual rainfall at stations A,B,C and D in a basin
are 80.97, 67.59, 76.28 and 92.01 cm respectively. In the
year 1985, the station D was inoperative and the station A,B
and C recorded annual precipitation of 91.11, 72.23, and
79.89 cm respectively. Estimate the rainfall at station D in that
year.
 In this method a set of rectangular co-ordinate axes are
passed through the missing station so that its co-ordinates
are (0,0).

 The co-ordinates (xi,yi) of each index station surrounding the

missing station are found.

 The weightage (Wi) of each index station is represented by

the inverse of the square of its distance from the missing
station.
 The missing rainfall data of station X is then computed fro the
relation ;
𝑛

𝑃𝑖
P𝑥 = 𝑊𝑖
𝑛
𝑖=1

𝑊𝑖
𝑖=1

1 1
Where, Wi = =
𝐷𝑖 2 𝑋𝑖 2 +𝑌𝑖 2
 In a river basin a station A was inoperative during a storm,
while stations B,C,D and E, surrounding A were in operation,
registering 74mm, 88mm, 71mm and 80mm of precipitation.
The coordinates of B,C,D & E are (9,6) , (12,-9) , (-11,-6) and
(-7,7) respectively, with co-ordinates of A as (0,0). Estimate
the missing storm precipitation of station A by the inverse
distance method.
 The rainfall recorded by a raingauge represents the rainfall at
that station.

 In many hydrological studies, the average depth of rainfall over

an area is required.

 For determination of average depth of rainfall, a large number

of raingauges are required
It is also known as mean rainfall over an area.
The computation of average precipitation or rainfall may be
by the following methods;

1. Arithmetic average method

2. Thiessen Polygon method

3. Isohyetal method
 If the rainfall is uniformly distributed, the simplest method of
estimating average rainfall is to compute the arithmetic average
of the recorded rainfall values at various stations.

Pavg = P1 + P2 + P3 +……+Pn
n

P1,P2,P3,..Pn = Rainfall at various stations

n = number of raingauge
 Arithmetic Avg. Method is most appropriate method since
rainfall varies in intensity and duration from place to place.

 Hence rainfall recorded by each raingauge station should be

weighed according to the area it is assumed to represent.
 B

D
Step-1 Join the adjacent rain-gauge stations A,B,C & D by straight lines.

Step-2 Construct the perpendicular bisectors of each line

Step-3 A thiessen polygon network is thus constructed.

Step-4 Multiply the area of each polygon by the rainfall value of that
enclosed station.

Step-5 Find the total area of the basin/catchment.

Step-6 Compute the average rainfall from the equation.

 Multiply the area of each thiessen polygon by the raingauge
value of the enclosed station.

 Formula for Average Rainfall;

Pavg = P1A1 + P2A2 + P3A3 +……+PnAn

A1+A2+A3+…+An

P1,P2,P3,…Pn = Rainfall at various stations

A1,A2,A3...An = Area of enclosed station
 Find the average rainfall over an area using Thiessen Polygon
method.

Sr. Rainfall (mm) Area (Sq. km)

No
1 30.8 45
2 34.6 38
3 32.6 30
4 24.6 40
 Isohyet are the contour of equal rainfall depth.

 It is used when the rainfall is not uniform and ground surface

having change in topography.

 An isohyet is a line, on a rainfall map of the basin, joining

places of equal rainfall.
Find the Average rainfall over an area using isohyetal
method.

Sr. Isohyets (cm) Area (Sq. km)

No
1 9 -
2 10 22
3 11 80
4 12 105
5 13 98
6 14 78
 𝑃1 + 𝑃2 𝑃2 + 𝑃3 𝑃3 + 𝑃4 𝑃𝑛 − 1 + 𝑃𝑛
+𝐴2 +A3 +……. An−1

P𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
2 2 2 2
𝐴1
A1+A2+A3+……………An-1

𝑛
𝑃1 + 𝑃2
𝐴×
P𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
2
𝑖=
𝑛
1

𝐴
𝑖=1

Where,
P1,P2,P3,…Pn = the value of isohyets
A1,A2,A3...An-1 = Inter Isohyets Area