Accuracy of radar rainfall estimates for streamflow simulation

The aim of this work is to analyse the impact of errors in radar rainfall estimates on rainfall-runoff modelling. This issue is addressed through application of radar rainfall estimates for continuous, lumped rainfall-runoff modelling of the Brue catchment, a mid-sized basin in South-West England, over a two and a half-year period. The study is focused on radar rainfall errors associated with range-related bias due to the vertical profile of reflectivity and with mean-field bias due to systematic errors in the radar calibration and biased reflectivity-to-rainrate relationship. Streamflow is simulated through a conceptual hydrological model based on mean areal rainfall estimates obtained by using various radar rainfall processing scenarios. These simulations are evaluated and compared with corresponding streamflow simulations from a dense raingauge network. The comparisons show that radar errors may preclude the use of unadjusted radar estimates for runoff modelling. Radar rainfall adju...