Heavy precipitation events Version 2024.01 exceeding DWD warning level 3 for severe weather based on RADKLIM-RW Version 2017.002

10.5676/DWD/CatRaRE_W3_Eta_v2024.01

Heavy precipitation events Version 2024.01 exceeding DWD warning level 3 for severe weather based on RADKLIM-RW Version 2017.002

Parameter and polygons of heavy precipitation events in Germany

The catalogues were derived in the framework of the project 'Derivation of correlations between insured damage and small scale heavy precipitation events based on DWD's high-resolution radar-based precipitation measurements since 2001" (short title: "Heavy Precipitation Project") by DWD and the German Assurance Association (GDV) and the project "Classification of meteorologically extreme events for risk prevention against heavy precipitation for civil protection and urban development (KlamEx)" financed by the Strategic Agencies' Alliance "Adaptation to Climate Change" comprising the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR), the Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk (THW), the Umweltbundesamt (UBA) and the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD). The catalogues are based on RADKLIM-RW data that has been produced within the project "Generation of a decadal radar-based high-resolution precipitation climatology for Germany for the retrieval of recent changes in precipitation extremes (Radar Climatology)", also financed by the Strategic Agencies' Alliance "Adaptation to Climate Change"

2024

v2024.01

Deutscher Wetterdienst

The catalogues of spatially and temporally independent heavy precipitation events are based on RADKLIM-RW Version 2017.002. The hourly precipitation sums (RW) result from radar-based precipitation estimates on a 1 km x 1 km grid over Germany adjusted to station data. Based on this dataset precipitation sums with 11 different durations (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 48 and 72 hours) were calculated for each hour. For each duration and hour precipitation objects of adjacent grid boxes were identified, that exceeded a chosen threshold (DWD's warning level 3 for severe weather (W3)). From all object that describe the same precipitation event (e.g. an event might exceed the threshold for several durations or in consecutive hours), the one with the highest extremity (Eta, a parameter dependent on return period and spatial extent) was chosen and listed in the catalogue.
In a csv-file all events are listed with date and time, duration, return period, geographical location of the precipitation maximum and further parameter. In addition to the .csv tables, each catalogue is available in GIS-Format, permitting the spatial representation of events. All precipitation maxima are represented in a Point Feature Layer and each event's zone is a part of the Polygon Feature Layer. Each layer contains a complete attribute table, which fully corresponds to the .csv file. Both datasets are availabe as file geodatabase (.gdb) with RADKLIM native polar stereographic projection. A description of the used projection (.prj for ArcGIS users and .qpj for QGIS users), can be found at: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/help/RADOLAN/gis/ .

Germany

dataset

Resource Size

Resource Access

Download	Format	Info
CatRaRE_2001_2023_W3_Eta_v2024_01.gdb		Esri-FGDB
CatRaRE_2001_2023_W3_Eta_v2024_01.csv		csv-file

Supplemental Information

General Usage Notes