Measurements of rainfall for studies of millimetric radio attenuation

Point and line rates of intense convective rain, measured between 1970 and 1976, with rapid-response gauges sited mainly in SE England, are presented in forms relevant to the estimation of attenuation by rain on terrestrial millimetric radio links; e.g. annual probability distributions of point rates for a range of gauge integration times, distributions of the duration and return periods of specific point rates and relationships between line and point rates. Statistical models have been deduced for the temporal and spatial variations and the frequency of occurrence of intense rain events in the UK and comparisons have been made with estimated long-term average values and models from other records. The models are being used to assist the development of prediction procedures for network planning.