Gridded monthly precipitation data derived from in-situ rain gauge observations. The dataset is based on approximately 50,300 stations and includes climatological normals for the period 1951-2000, with a near-real-time monitoring product operating since 1986. It was produced by the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre at Deutscher Wetterdienst.
Use Cases
- Analyze long-term precipitation trends and anomalies using monthly time-series data from 1901 to 2007.
- Validate satellite-gauge combined precipitation products like GPCP using the in-situ station data as a ground truth component.
- Calculate climatological normals for the 1951-2000 period or other 30-year reference periods for climate baseline studies.
- Monitor seasonal precipitation anomalies for specific regions, such as Europe, using the near-real-time monitoring product.
- Study global climate variability with the VASClimO 50-Year Data Set supplying gridded monthly time-series.
Strengths
- Long temporal coverage from 1901 to 2007 for the Full Data Reanalysis Product.
- High station density, with data coverage per month varying from less than 10,000 to more than 45,000 stations.
- Operational near-real-time monitoring product has a continuous history since 1986, updated monthly.
Limitations
- Station coverage is uneven geographically and temporally, with monthly counts fluctuating significantly.
- The Full Data Reanalysis Product's latest version ends in 2007, creating a temporal gap for recent years.
- Climatological normals for some stations are calculated from periods other than 1951-2000 due to insufficient data length.
Provenance
- Source
- Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC), Deutscher Wetterdienst.
- Collection Method
- Compiled from in-situ rain gauge observations, including SYNOP and CLIMAT reports via GTS, WMO CLINOs, and historical time-series.
- Time Range
- 1901 to 2007 for Full Data Reanalysis; monthly monitoring from 1986 onward.
- Freshness
- The near-real-time Monitoring Product is available within about 2 months after the observation month. Full Data Reanalysis updates occur at irregular intervals.
- Geography
- Global land surface.