Characteristics of

Rainstorm
 A storm that produces rain is called Rainstorm.
 Light rain - upto 2.5 mm/hr
 Moderate rain - 2.5 to 7.5 mm/hr
 Heavy rain > 7.5 mm/hr
 Violent rain > 50 mm/hr

by Dr. P P Choudhari
Characteristics of Rainstorm
 Rainfall description – intensity, duration, and frequency
o Intensity – The intensity of a rain is the rate at which it is falling;
o Duration – is the time for which it is falling with that given intensity
o Frequency – is the number of times it falls.

1. Rain Hyetograph

2. Mass Curve of Rainfall

3. Moving Average Curve of Annual Rainfall

4. Depth-Area-Duration (DAD) Curve

1. Rain Hyetograph
o Rain hyetograph is the relation between time and intensity of rainfall.
o Showing time intensity pattern
o Hyetograph is plot of intensity of rainfall against time can be represented
using bar chart.
o Area under curve shows total amount of rainfall received.
o Helps in understanding characteristics of storm.
o Important in developing design storms to predict extreme floods.
o Time interval depends on purpose – urban and rural – flood – catchment.
2. Mass curve of Rainfall
o Mass curve shows total accumulated precipitation is plotted against time.

o The obtained curve is known as the mass curve of the storm.

o Initially curve rises steeply and then tends to become constant.

3. Moving Average Curve of Annual Rainfall
4. Depth-Area-Duration (DAD) Curve
 DAD curve used for designing purpose

 DAD curve associated with duration

 Depth-Area-Duration (DAD) analysis is a procedure to determine the maximum amount of rainfall of different durations over a range of areas.

 DAD curve expresses the relation between progressively decreasing average depth over a progressively increasing area for a given duration of rainfall.

 Questions – There are three zones for a catchment with the area of each zone are 100 km2, 3000 km2, 3000 km2. The

accumulated average rainfall in mm in different zone for a particular rainfall is given below. Draw the maximum DAD curve for

rainfall for 2 hour duration.

 Time Zone 1 Zone 2 zone 3 Duration Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3

2 8 5 2 0-2 8 5 2
4 14 11 7 2-4 6 6 5
6 23 18 12 4-6 9 7 5
8 35 28 21 6-8 12 10 9
10 48 40 30 8-10 13 12 9

Zone Max Depth Area in Sq.km Volume Accumulated Accumulated Area Average Depth in
(col 2x3) Volume in Sq.km mm (col 5/6)
1 13 100 1300 1300 100 13
2 12 3000 36000 37300 3100 12
3 9 3000 27000 64300 6100 10.5

𝑽𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆
Average depth =
𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂