Convective Rainfall Rate multi-channel algorithm for Meteosat-7 and radar derived calibration matrices

Abstract

The CRR (Convective Rainfall Rate) algorithm was developed to detect intense mesoscale convective cells and to screen the most probable precipitation associated. It estimates rainfall intensity using the three bands of the Meteosat–7 and matrices calibrated with earth–based radars. Calibration matrices were performed following an accurate version of the Rainsat techniques but combining the infrared bands to detect convective clouds. Matrices were developed, up for the North of Europe, over the Baltic countries, with data from the radar of the Baltex Project provided by the SMHI (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute) and for the South of Europe, over the Iberian Peninsula, with radar data as provided by the INM (Spanish Meteorological Institute). In the present research, the CRR calibration methodology is validated, an analysis of calibration matrices differences in both areas over Europe is detailed and CRR resulting images are verified in a qualitative manner using rainfall radar images as ground true.