Urban landscape artificialization leads to increased flood hazards in the most vulnerable locations (Under review)

Rainfall data assimilation for urban flood modelling

Rainfall data assimilation in flood modelling was used to improve the accuracy of rainfall inputs for flood prediction. It involves integrating observed rainfall data from various sources, such as weather stations, radar systems, or satellite measurements, into a hydrological model. By assimilating the observed rainfall data, the model can adjust and update its initial rainfall estimates, resulting in more reliable and precise flood predictions. This assimilation process helps to correct errors, reduce uncertainties, and enhance the model’s ability to capture rainfall patterns and intensities, thereby improving flood forecasting and early warning systems.

Merging rain gauge and E-OBS datasets

Rain gauges are devices used to measure the amount of precipitation, typically rainfall, at a specific location. They consist of a collecting container, such as a cylinder or funnel, which captures and accumulates the rainfall. The collected water is then measured using a graduated scale or a tipping-bucket mechanism that records the number of tip events. Rain gauge data provides valuable information about the intensity, duration, and spatial distribution of rainfall, which is essential for various applications, including weather forecasting, hydrological modeling, and flood prediction.

The E-OBS (European Climate Assessment & Dataset) gridded dataset is a high-resolution gridded dataset of climate variables over Europe. It provides information on various meteorological parameters, including temperature, precipitation, and other derived variables. E-OBS is based on a combination of observations from meteorological stations and applies statistical interpolation techniques to create a continuous grid of data across the European domain. It is widely used for climate research, impact assessments, and climate modeling, providing valuable information on historical and present-day climate conditions across Europe.

Data merging was performed to combine information from rain gauges (point measurements) and E-OBS gridded datasets (spatially continuous data) for more accurate flood predictions. By merging rain gauge and gridded data, flood modelers can benefit from the strengths of both datasets. Rain gauges provide accurate point measurements, while gridded datasets offer broader coverage. The merging process helps to capture the spatial variability of rainfall and improve flood modeling and forecasting capabilities.