Tipping-bucket rain gauges: a review of the undercatch phenomenon, and methods for its reduction and correction

Abstract

Tipping-bucket rain gauges are crucial for the measurement of precipitation. However, gauge-measured precipitation is affected by a myriad of errors, with wind-induced undercatch typically being the most significant of the local errors. Here, we review the rain gauge undercatch phenomenon and methods developed for its reduction and correction. We find that refined gauge design and installation practices have reduced undercatch, and post-collection correction methodologies for undercatch have been developed. However, we recommend that more work is needed to communicate the importance of this phenomenon, and that existing correction methodologies are still not robust enough to be widely adopted.