The INTENSE project: using observations and models to understand the past, present and future of sub-daily rainfall extremes

• Published in: Advances in science and research Vol. 15; pp. 117 - 126
• Main Authors: Blenkinsop, Stephen, Fowler, Hayley J, Barbero, Renaud, Chan, Steven C, Guerreiro, Selma B, Kendon, Elizabeth, Lenderink, Geert, Lewis, Elizabeth, Li, Xiao-Feng, Westra, Seth, Alexander, Lisa, Allan, Richard P, Berg, Peter, Dunn, Robert J. H, Ekström, Marie, Evans, Jason P, Holland, Greg, Jones, Richard, Kjellström, Erik, Klein-Tank, Albert, Lettenmaier, Dennis, Mishra, Vimal, Prein, Andreas F, Sheffield, Justin, Tye, Mari R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 19-06-2018; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Adaptation; Atmospheric circulation; Atmospheric models; Climate change; Climate models; Computer simulation; Daily precipitation; Data acquisition; Data collection; Datasets; Environmental aspects; Environmental risk; Extreme weather; Flash floods; Flooding; Floods; Future climates; Gauges; Hydrology; Methods; Precipitation; Quality control; Rain; Rain gauges; Rainfall; Researchers; Weather forecasting; United Kingdom > UK; Australia; United States > US
• ISSN: 1992-0636; 1992-0628; 1992-0636
• DOI: 10.5194/asr-15-117-2018

Historical in situ sub-daily rainfall observations are essential for the
understanding of short-duration rainfall extremes but records are typically
not readily accessible and data are often subject to errors and
inhomogeneities. Furthermore, these events are poorly quantified in
projections of future climate change making adaptation to the risk of flash
flooding problematic. Consequently, knowledge of the processes contributing
to intense, short-duration rainfall is less complete compared with those on
daily timescales. The INTENSE project is addressing this global challenge by
undertaking a data collection initiative that is coupled with advances in
high-resolution climate modelling to better understand key processes and
likely future change. The project has so far acquired data from over
23 000 rain gauges for its global sub-daily rainfall dataset (GSDR) and has
provided evidence of an intensification of hourly extremes over the US.
Studies of these observations, combined with model simulations, will continue
to advance our understanding of the role of local-scale thermodynamics and
large-scale atmospheric circulation in the generation of these events and how
these might change in the future.