Articles | Volume 9, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2425-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-2425-2016
Research article
 | 
01 Jun 2016
Research article |  | 01 Jun 2016

Retrieval algorithm for rainfall mapping from microwave links in a cellular communication network

Aart Overeem, Hidde Leijnse, and Remko Uijlenhoet

Abstract. Microwave links in commercial cellular communication networks hold a promise for areal rainfall monitoring and could complement rainfall estimates from ground-based weather radars, rain gauges, and satellites. It has been shown that country-wide (≈  35 500 km2) 15 min rainfall maps can be derived from the signal attenuations of approximately 2400 microwave links in such a network. Here we give a detailed description of the employed rainfall retrieval algorithm. Moreover, the documented, modular, and user-friendly code (a package in the scripting language “R”) is made available, including a 2-day data set of approximately 2600 commercial microwave links from the Netherlands. The purpose of this paper is to promote rainfall mapping utilising microwave links from cellular communication networks as an alternative or complementary means for continental-scale rainfall monitoring.

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Short summary
Microwave links in commercial cellular communication networks hold a promise for areal rainfall monitoring and could complement rainfall estimates from ground-based weather radars, rain gauges, and satellites. It has been shown that country-wide rainfall maps can be derived from the signal attenuations of microwave links in such a network. Here we give a detailed description of the employed rainfall retrieval algorithm and the corresponding code, which is freely provided at GitHub.