Rainfall Rate Prediction for Propagation Applications: Model Performance at Regional Level Over Ireland

Three global rainfall rate prediction methods are evaluated in their ability to estimate local precipitation statistics, which are the key to predict the impact of rain on the propagation of electromagnetic waves through the atmosphere. Specifically, the International Telecommunication Union-Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) P.837-6, model for rainfall statistics estimation (MORSE), and the ITU-R P.837-7 prediction methods are tested against long-term rainfall data collected in 19 sites in Ireland. The results indicate that the ITU-R P.837-7 prediction method delivers the best performance, and that both the ITU-R P.837-6 prediction method and MORSE exhibit a positive bias, likely due to the overestimation of the yearly rain amount in the maps used as input to such models. The results of the testing activity provide information on the accuracy of rainfall rate prediction methods at regional level, an important factor to consider given the direct link between the magnitude of rain-induced attenuation, and the operational frequency of wireless communication links.