A weather monitoring system for the study of precipitation fields, weather, and climate in an urban area

摘要

The possibility to study the precipitation dynamics with advanced and specific tools is anudimportant task of the research activity addressing the understanding, the modeling, and theudmanaging of rainfall events. Over the last years, the hydrology laboratory of the Department ofudCivil, Environmental, Aerospace Engineering, and Materials (DICAM) at the University ofudPalermo, has installed several instruments for the monitoring and the study of precipitationudwithin the urban area of Palermo (Italy).udThe main instrument of this system is the X-band weather radar, which allows monitoring theudprecipitation fields with high resolution in space and time. This instrument is supported by audrain gauges network of 18 tipping bucket gauges spread over the observed area, a weight rainudgauge, an optical disdrometer, and a weather station. The information provided by differentuddevices can be combined in order to integrate different data and correct errors.udIn particular, the disdrometer is able to provide the drop size distribution (DSD) that is directlyudlinked to the parameters used to transform radar reflectivity to precipitation estimates.udMoreover, disdrometer observations can be used to classify the precipitation events. The rainudgauges network data is used to apply a ground correction to the radar precipitation maps. Suchudan operation is useful to constrain the radar estimate to the observed ground precipitation value.udResults obtained from a prototypal version of the system, that considers only the mainudapplications designed, are discussed for a study event.udFinally, all of the above instruments are embedded in an integrated early warning system ableudto provide warnings related to possible flood in the urban area of Palermo.