SAFARI 2000: Daily Rainfall Totals for Mongu, Zambia

Official government rainfall records for Mongu, Zambia, were collected using a British standard 5-inch rain gauge. Daily totals in millimeters were recorded each morning at 06:00 GMT by Zambia Meteorological Department staff. The data, covering multiple years, are structured as monthly columns with daily and monthly totals across three annual files.

Use Cases

• Calibrating satellite precipitation estimates based on high-quality ground measurements.
• Analyzing seasonal and interannual rainfall variability in Zambia's Western Province.
• Validating hydrological or climate models for the Southern African savanna ecosystem.
• Studying the impact of local geography on rainfall distribution near Mongu Airport.

Strengths

• Data represents the official government rainfall record for Mongu, Zambia.
• Collection followed a standardized protocol using a specific 5-inch diameter rain gauge at a documented location.
• Time series includes daily readings taken at a consistent time (06:00 GMT) over multiple years.

Limitations

• Column names and exact row counts are not provided in the available metadata.
• Sources conflict on the last update date (2002 vs. 2026), suggesting potential metadata errors.
• Spatial coverage is limited to a single station in Mongu, Western Province.

Provenance

Source

Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD), collected for the SAFARI 2000 project.

Collection Method

Manual readings from a British standard 5-inch diameter rain gauge located 30m from the Meteorological Department building near Mongu Airport.

Time Range

Likely 1999 to 2002, inferred from the title 'SAFARI 2000 Daily Rainfall Totals for Mongu, Zambia, 1999-2002'.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: 2002-06-30 (nasa_earthdata) and 2026-04-09 (datagov).

Geography

Mongu, Western Province, Zambia; specifically near Mongu Airport, approximately 20 km from Kataba Local Forest.