Measuring rain with microwave links: A pilot experiment in Ecuador

This paper investigates the possibility of estimating the path averaged rainfall by means of single frequency microwave links. Microwave link attenuation measurements can supplement data gathered in the air (e.g. radars) or on the ground (e.g. raingauges), providing useful information about the rainfall on a virtually continuous time scale. We present here the results of a theoretical analysis conducted to derive the main operational parameters for the implementation of a system, currently under deployment, in the equatorial City of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The system performance is tested out by applying the Synthetic Storm Technique on rainfall time series, collected by raingauges located over the link area.