Climatological Z-R relationship for radar rainfall estimation in the upper Ping river basin

Weather radar can potentially provide high-resolution spatial and temporal rainfall estimates bringing more accuracy to flood estimations as well as having some other applications in areas with insufficient rainfall stations like Thailand. Weather radar cannot be used to measure the rainfall depth directly; so an empirical relationship between the reflectivity ( Z) and rainfall rate (R), called the Z-R relationship (Z = AR b ), is generally used to assess the rainfall depth using radar. In this study, an optimization approach was used to find a suitable climatological Z-R relationship for the upper Ping river basin, Northern Thailand. The reflectivity data between June and October in 2003 and 2004 at the Omkoi radar station located in Chiangmai Province, together with the daily rainfall depths at fifty rainfall stations located in and around the basin during the same periods were used. A climatological Z-R relationship in the form Z = 74R 1.6 shows acceptable statistical indicators, making it suitable for radar rainfall prediction for the upper Ping river basin.