Articles | Volume 371
https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-371-117-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-371-117-2015
12 Jun 2015
 | 12 Jun 2015

Design impact and significance of non-stationarity of variance in extreme rainfall

M. Al Saji, J. J. O'Sullivan, and A. O'Connor

Cited articles

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Chandler, R. E.: Analysis of rainfall variability using generalized linear models: A case study from the west of Ireland, Water Resour. Res., 38, 10-1, https://doi.org/10.1029/2001WR000906, 2002.
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Short summary
Using the variance rather than the mean as the tested variable is shown to be more consistent for assessing non-stationarity of annual maximum daily rainfalls at eight rainfall stations in Dublin, Ireland. Observed step changes in variance are temporally consistent with a positive phase of the NAO suggesting they result from a climate change signal. Allowing for the step changes in design rainfalls produced increases from 5 to 16% for the 5-year event and from 20 to 41% for the 100-year event.