Climatology of Instantaneous Rainfall Rates

Abstract Raingage records from four climatic zones (maritime subtropical, continental temperate, maritime temperate and midlatitude interior) were analyzed to study instantaneous rainfall rates as defined by 1 and 4 min accumulations. The frequency distribution of rainfall rates was determined for stations in each of these climatic zones and a zonal average frequency distribution calculated. A progression in the frequency of more intense precipitation was found from the North Pole to the Equator since all of the data were taken from the Northern Hemisphere. The most intense rainfalls were recorded at stations in the maritime subtropical zones and the least intense rainfalls in the maritime temperate zones.