Tel4Rain aims:

• to develop a robust system for providing reliable precipitation observation using the CML data based on advanced technologies to convert signal attenuation into rainfall intensities and
• to establish a framework for the system implementation into practical and later on even operational use. This presents a rather ambitious plan which requires inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaboration among scientists and researchers in the fields of hydrology, water resources management, and electromagnetic field (EMF) and involved stakeholders (national weather institutes, cellular operators, precipitation product end-users).

Highlights Tel4Rain:

• CML networks provide an ideal example of a new in-situ technology with global land surface coverage and breakthrough potential for solving one of the main Earth Observation challenges: rainfall observation, particularly in those areas across the world’s continents where traditional in-situ observation systems have gaps, e. g. in urban areas, mountainous regions, and in less developed countries.
• As operational CML networks already exist no additional infrastructure, energy or maintenance are required for the data acquisition which will thus be efficient and sustainable, also in less developed countries.
• By optimised algorithms CML-based rainfall can reach a high level of accuracy and the effort will ensure compatibility and interoperability of the data with relevant public and private counterparts and operational services.
• Operational solutions will be developed for the provision of different CML-based rainfall products as well as business models for securing wide-spread application of the concept.