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Updated: May 14, 2026
08:20
In Situ Soil Moisture Sensors in Undisturbed Soils
Published on: November 18, 2022
Country-wide rainfall maps from cellular communication networks.
Aart Overeem1, Hidde Leijnse, Remko Uijlenhoet
1Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands. aart.overeem@wur.nl
Summary
Commercial cellular networks can monitor rainfall across entire countries in real-time. This innovative approach uses microwave link signal data to map precipitation, especially where traditional rain gauges are scarce.
Area of Science:
- Hydrology
- Meteorology
- Telecommunications Engineering
Background:
- Accurate precipitation data is vital for water management, agriculture, and climate research.
- Existing rain gauge networks are insufficient globally and are declining in density.
- Satellite estimates require ground validation, which is often lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the feasibility of using commercial microwave communication links for real-time rainfall monitoring.
- To retrieve space-time rainfall dynamics over an entire country using this novel method.
- To provide a cost-effective solution for precipitation monitoring in data-sparse regions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized received signal level data from commercial microwave links.
- Developed a rainfall retrieval algorithm based on rain-induced signal attenuation.
- Applied the algorithm in real-time to data from approximately 2,400 links across the Netherlands.
Main Results:
- Successfully retrieved the space-time dynamics of rainfall for the entire Netherlands (approximately 35,500 km²).
- Demonstrated real-time rainfall monitoring capabilities using a large-scale cellular network.
- Validated the potential of microwave link networks for precipitation estimation.
Conclusions:
- Commercial microwave communication networks offer a powerful, scalable solution for real-time rainfall monitoring.
- This technology can significantly enhance precipitation data availability, particularly in regions lacking traditional instrumentation.
- The approach provides a valuable tool for water resource management, agriculture, and climate studies.
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