Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT The temporal distribution of rainfall is a key driver of flood response. Yet, flood estimation methods are frequently based on symmetrical design profiles. Recent research using sub‐hourly rainfall data from Great Britain indicates that a significant proportion of observed rainfall events are non‐symmetrical. This paper investigates how different rainfall profiles affect river flow hydrographs for a set of small, flash‐flooding catchments. Results show that rainfall profiles affect observed hydrograph peak flow and timing. Most importantly, back‐loaded rainfall profiles lead to higher peak flows than symmetrical or front‐loaded profiles. These observations are compared to current design practice, using the Revitalised Flood Hydrograph (ReFH2.3) model to simulate flows from different rainfall profiles. Simulated events reproduce the observed response of peak magnitude but differ for peak time. A comparison of modelled flows with catchment descriptors indicates that steep, low permeability, wet catchments are most sensitive to rainfall profile shape. These are also the most vulnerable catchments to flash flooding. We recommend that different rainfall profile shapes should be considered for flood risk assessments in rapid response catchments, particularly since global warming is increasing the number of intense, short‐duration downpours.
Source: Journal of Flood Risk Management
DOI: 10.1111/jfr3.70133
Institutions: Newcastle University, Tyndall Centre, Universidad de Costa Rica
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,280
OpenAlex ID: W4415138804